The 1619 Project: Born on the Water

The book received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, which noted how "the authors clearly but non-graphically confront the horror of chattel slavery." According to the reviewer, Smith also used different styles to convey different emotions, such as a "saturated palette to create emotionally evocative scenes", while "multicolor palettes illustrate scenes of peace and joy."^[2]

Writing for The Horn Book, Autumn Allen praised the poetry and the art, calling the latter "dynamic, expressive, and expansive" and able to show the "emotional journey of a resilient people."^[3] In a review for the School Library Journal, Claire Moore, who gave The 1619 Project a star, praised the writing and the art.^[4]

Born on the Water ranked #1 on The New York Times Best Seller List Children's Picture Book category, on December 5, 2021.^[5] Time for Kids a division of Time included Born on the Water on the list, "The 10 Best YA and Children's Books of 2021."^[6]