Author: Retold
by Cari Meister
Publication: August 1, 2012
Publisher: Picture Window Books
Source: Publisher
via NetGalley
Genre: Children’s
Audience: 4 and up
Summary:Follow the Drinking Gourd is an
American folk song from the 1920s. Legend has it that a man called Peg Leg Joe
taught slaves the song to help them escape to freedom, and they used the Big
Dipper and the North Star to guide the way.
My Thoughts: My 6 year old daughter, Jessie, and I read this together. We both loved
it. This is a quick educational read. This is the retelling to the story that
is the basis for the folk song. The illustrations are fabulous. I like that
this book included a glossary to help young readers. I used this story as a
tool to talk about slavery and our family’s role in slavery. Jessie’s comment
was “the slave part was bad, but it was good when they followed the gourd to
get free.” My daughter and I made up our
own tune to the lyrics, as I couldn't remember the tune, and we sang. Jessie
and I even went outside in an attempt to find the drinking gourd and the north
star. I am by no means an astrologist, needless to say we didn't find it.
Aww! I remember having a book like this read to us by the librarian in elementary school. I think Reading Rainbow even did an animated book type episode on the drinking gourd. I can't believe I still remember that, but I do remember the book and the video, I'm not sure if it was a library video or Reading Rainbow. I thought the drinking gourd was the big dipper? I can usually find a dipper not sure if it is the little or big because I'm not an astrologist either.
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