What do you think?
Rate this book
Running the Road to ABC
Six Haitian children awaken before dawn each morning to run barefoot to school, a journey that is complemented by the sounds of nature and the bright morning sun, in a rhythmic ABC story that captures the nation's hill and meadow regions.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 1996
2 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 12, 2016
With stunning illustrations and compelling lyrical prose, this wonderful picture book tells the story of six Haitian children and the miles they travel to get to school. In doing so, Lauture’s tale takes readers on a visual and poetic journey of Haiti’s various landscapes, both geographical and social. While exposing some of the present-day hardships in Haiti, such as running barefoot over rough terrain to get to school, Lauture proudly depicts values such as strength, determination, and a love of learning.
Lauture introduces his book by dedicating it “To all children who, smiling and laughing,/ laughing and singing,/ singing and smiling,/ stand tall at the golden thresholds of their lives/ and welcome learning and teaching,/ and teaching and learning,/ as the two most endearing experiences in life.” A love and dedication to learning is certainly at the crux of this tale. As Lauture openly embraces the beauty in teaching and learning, his lovely, undulating prose is in itself didactic. Throughout the tale Lauture makes ample use of repetition and symmetrical sentence structures (such as “learning and teaching,/ and teaching and learning”), which can help young readers remember new vocabulary, keep up with the story, and witness the flexibility and playfulness of words. In addition, his long, flowing sentences tend to continue on and on without punctuation, reflecting the long and persistent, yet melodically joyful journey of the schoolchildren. Moreover, the lack of punctuation may reflect the cadence of Haitian Creole, which is generally not a written language. As a result, Lauture’s prose suggests a melody that would make the story perfect for reading out loud—a treat for listeners, and a celebration of Haiti’s rich oral tradition.
The children leave for school at dawn before the sun rises. They run through villages and farmlands and pass by other community members waking up and starting their day. As they travel they rely on the creeping sunlight to give them a sense of time: “When they reach the main road, they all turn their sweaty necks and glance back. If the sun is still asleep, all of them smile, and keep the pace. But if they notice that the sky, and the hillcrests, and the treetops being to take the color of honey, they quicken the pace. Sunlight and shade are their only clocks.” When the kids injure their bare feet on rocks, they heal their injuries themselves using different leaves, plants and soil. As the kids journey along, readers will notice the way the schoolchildren depend on and interact with the natural environment.
The story ends with the children finally arriving at school. The narration gives readers a sense of wholeness and completion, not just to conclude the story, but also to evoke the necessary and integral part that education plays in the lives of children:
"And up and down every day, morning noon evening star, morning star evening moon, running left and turning right, counting one and counting two, learning A and learning B, a hum today, a song tomorrow, they gaze at the heavens, rise before the sun, sail with the moon, and dream of stars to read and write and write and read each night and each morning, each morning and each noon, each noon and each day one more letter and one more sound, one more sound and one more word, one more word and one more line, one more line and one more page of their little songs…"
Through Lauture’s prose, the process of going to school seems to be integrated with the natural environment, essential to daily life in Haiti. In addition, the sometimes tiring sensation associated with his long, breathless sentences reflects the incessant effort and toil of these children who go to such great lengths to arrive at school.
Moreover, Lauture refers to each child by their individual name, but also repeats “all are schoolchildren” multiple times throughout the story. In doing so, Lauture calls attention to a child’s right to education, a right just as fundamental as any other. According to a study run by The World Bank, “More than 200,000 children from Haiti remain out of school and several are too old for their grade level.” Additionally, “Most schools ask for tuition fees, a barrier for many.” According to USAID, “Surveys conducted by the UNDP indicate that Haitians who are 25 years and older received on average only 4.9 years of education and only 29 percent attended secondary school.” Lauture incorporates education for children into a tableau of Haitian life in order to emphasize its importance. This story can, thus, be read as a call for better school systems in Haiti, as well as a sincere portrait of a child’s love of education. Ultimately, education is the thread that weaves all other parts of life together.
This book’s wonderful way of emphasizing education could inspire a variety of lesson plans on education around the world, or education in the lives of students. As noted by Social Justice Literature for the Elementary Classroom, this book could inspire a lesson plan or discussion on the varying school systems from country to country, or the lack of free, public education in other parts of the world:
"This book could be part of a social justice unit but it could also be integrated into a social studies unit. The students could examine the school and education systems in other cultures and explore the sometimes stark differences. The students could look at the conditions and environments of other schools. This book falls into the domains of social justice education because its major themes are education and Haiti. The book is also a great segue into a discussion about the value, role, and accessibility of education in different countries."
Educators could also encourage kids to talk about their own experiences coming to school and why coming to school and learning is important to them. In addition, educators could ask kids to point out any plants, animals, or crops that are unfamiliar to them, as well as any other unfamiliar scenes, such as “donkeys bent under too-heavy loads.” This book provides a beautiful panorama of Haitian life, which could be used as an opportunity to compare and contrast differences and similarities between Haiti and the U.S. or maybe even Haiti and other parts of Latin America that students are familiar with. It could also provide the opportunity for students to reflect on their own daily lives in comparison and contrast with those of the children in the book. Focusing on elements of compare and contrast (with a Venn diagram, or other model) could foster cultural awareness while instilling an understanding of differences.
For access to the full review and additional resources, check out our Vamos a Leer blog at teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.com
Lauture introduces his book by dedicating it “To all children who, smiling and laughing,/ laughing and singing,/ singing and smiling,/ stand tall at the golden thresholds of their lives/ and welcome learning and teaching,/ and teaching and learning,/ as the two most endearing experiences in life.” A love and dedication to learning is certainly at the crux of this tale. As Lauture openly embraces the beauty in teaching and learning, his lovely, undulating prose is in itself didactic. Throughout the tale Lauture makes ample use of repetition and symmetrical sentence structures (such as “learning and teaching,/ and teaching and learning”), which can help young readers remember new vocabulary, keep up with the story, and witness the flexibility and playfulness of words. In addition, his long, flowing sentences tend to continue on and on without punctuation, reflecting the long and persistent, yet melodically joyful journey of the schoolchildren. Moreover, the lack of punctuation may reflect the cadence of Haitian Creole, which is generally not a written language. As a result, Lauture’s prose suggests a melody that would make the story perfect for reading out loud—a treat for listeners, and a celebration of Haiti’s rich oral tradition.
The children leave for school at dawn before the sun rises. They run through villages and farmlands and pass by other community members waking up and starting their day. As they travel they rely on the creeping sunlight to give them a sense of time: “When they reach the main road, they all turn their sweaty necks and glance back. If the sun is still asleep, all of them smile, and keep the pace. But if they notice that the sky, and the hillcrests, and the treetops being to take the color of honey, they quicken the pace. Sunlight and shade are their only clocks.” When the kids injure their bare feet on rocks, they heal their injuries themselves using different leaves, plants and soil. As the kids journey along, readers will notice the way the schoolchildren depend on and interact with the natural environment.
The story ends with the children finally arriving at school. The narration gives readers a sense of wholeness and completion, not just to conclude the story, but also to evoke the necessary and integral part that education plays in the lives of children:
"And up and down every day, morning noon evening star, morning star evening moon, running left and turning right, counting one and counting two, learning A and learning B, a hum today, a song tomorrow, they gaze at the heavens, rise before the sun, sail with the moon, and dream of stars to read and write and write and read each night and each morning, each morning and each noon, each noon and each day one more letter and one more sound, one more sound and one more word, one more word and one more line, one more line and one more page of their little songs…"
Through Lauture’s prose, the process of going to school seems to be integrated with the natural environment, essential to daily life in Haiti. In addition, the sometimes tiring sensation associated with his long, breathless sentences reflects the incessant effort and toil of these children who go to such great lengths to arrive at school.
Moreover, Lauture refers to each child by their individual name, but also repeats “all are schoolchildren” multiple times throughout the story. In doing so, Lauture calls attention to a child’s right to education, a right just as fundamental as any other. According to a study run by The World Bank, “More than 200,000 children from Haiti remain out of school and several are too old for their grade level.” Additionally, “Most schools ask for tuition fees, a barrier for many.” According to USAID, “Surveys conducted by the UNDP indicate that Haitians who are 25 years and older received on average only 4.9 years of education and only 29 percent attended secondary school.” Lauture incorporates education for children into a tableau of Haitian life in order to emphasize its importance. This story can, thus, be read as a call for better school systems in Haiti, as well as a sincere portrait of a child’s love of education. Ultimately, education is the thread that weaves all other parts of life together.
This book’s wonderful way of emphasizing education could inspire a variety of lesson plans on education around the world, or education in the lives of students. As noted by Social Justice Literature for the Elementary Classroom, this book could inspire a lesson plan or discussion on the varying school systems from country to country, or the lack of free, public education in other parts of the world:
"This book could be part of a social justice unit but it could also be integrated into a social studies unit. The students could examine the school and education systems in other cultures and explore the sometimes stark differences. The students could look at the conditions and environments of other schools. This book falls into the domains of social justice education because its major themes are education and Haiti. The book is also a great segue into a discussion about the value, role, and accessibility of education in different countries."
Educators could also encourage kids to talk about their own experiences coming to school and why coming to school and learning is important to them. In addition, educators could ask kids to point out any plants, animals, or crops that are unfamiliar to them, as well as any other unfamiliar scenes, such as “donkeys bent under too-heavy loads.” This book provides a beautiful panorama of Haitian life, which could be used as an opportunity to compare and contrast differences and similarities between Haiti and the U.S. or maybe even Haiti and other parts of Latin America that students are familiar with. It could also provide the opportunity for students to reflect on their own daily lives in comparison and contrast with those of the children in the book. Focusing on elements of compare and contrast (with a Venn diagram, or other model) could foster cultural awareness while instilling an understanding of differences.
For access to the full review and additional resources, check out our Vamos a Leer blog at teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.com
January 1, 2021
Review of averages on this one: I would have given it a high four stars; Joey a low three stars. It's a neat story that follows the journey children in Haiti take to get to school each day. It's a long run over many hills and away from their home village, but they run because they are so excited to get there. Introduces American children to the difference in education in another country. And I also liked the near-lyrical cadence of the prose.
Read
October 12, 2019Running the Road to ABC is about a group of children that wake up very early every morning to go to school. The only way they would be able to get there is on food, running miles upon miles every week. This teaches students that other places around the world may not be as fortunate, and that all of us should be grateful for the opportunities we do have.
February 10, 2022
Every morning six children get up while the moon is still in the sky, and while the roosters are still asleep, they run to school. They go up and down hills. They do this for seven years, six days a week, forty weeks per year. Their education is important to them and to their families.
Beautiful illustrations.
Beautiful illustrations.
May 7, 2017
A bit wordy for a kid's book. The pictures were interesting, but I really disliked all of the run on sentences. The flow was rough. I think it was probably intentional, but I didn't like the way it read.
October 27, 2017
I loves the illustrations in this book. I also liked how I could created a lesson out of this book. I could introduce what school is like for other cultures. I could also ask the class to compare and contrast their travels to school to how the characters in the book travel to school.
January 28, 2018
Beautiful book sought out and purchased in response to insensitive remarks made in regard to Haiti and other African nations. This book is a celebration of those who wish to learn and the journey they will make willingly in the pursuit of an education.
October 4, 2019
I loved this book. It is a story of children living in a village in Haiti that run to school 6 days a week. They run a very long distance everyday. The author does an incredible job of writing and expressing the children's excitement and gratitude towards going to school and learning.
Read
October 15, 2019Running the Road to ABC is about a group of children that wake up very early every morning to go to school. The kids don't have forms of transportation so they end up running miles upon miles every week, by foot.
April 25, 2018
Likes this book. This book sparked up conversation in my family about life in third world countries.
August 18, 2018
I enjoyed this book, and I really like all the color and movement in the book.
Read
October 8, 2019Cute book about kids excited to go to school.
September 21, 2024
Location note: Haiti
October 12, 2024
About kids who have to travel a long way to get to school. My kid thought that was really interesting, and it sparked a conversation about how school is different in different places.
September 1, 2014
This story talks about six children who are running to school. It starts with how the children wake up and grab something to eat for breakfast and then they leave before dawn. The story keeps going with them running through the village, faster than the people, racing against the sun. The story ends with the children arriving at their school to learn new things.
This book was very well written. It has a lot of descriptive words which makes the story become more real. One thing that did catch my eye was the illustrations. They took up most of the page which draws your attention towards them and it would show many of the different things that were going on at that time. For example you could see the merchant with the bucking donkey, and you could see all of the animals that were making sounds. It was very easy to follow along, and it was fun to read.
This book was very well written. It has a lot of descriptive words which makes the story become more real. One thing that did catch my eye was the illustrations. They took up most of the page which draws your attention towards them and it would show many of the different things that were going on at that time. For example you could see the merchant with the bucking donkey, and you could see all of the animals that were making sounds. It was very easy to follow along, and it was fun to read.
March 30, 2015
This book had great use of descriptive words reguarding schoo children, animals, day or night, and other people in the neighborhood. Books words, "Up and down, everyday, morning moon, morning start, evening moon," which was one of my favorite stanza's repeated in the book. This book also had great color with thick lines representing all the settings in the story.
July 6, 2016
This is a gorgeous picture book that uses beautiful poetic language to tell about three boys and three girls on their way to school in Haiti. They are up before the sun and they journey through the lush landscape to get to school on time. I love the vibrant acrylic paintings that bring this story to life. I would love to share this book at the beginning of the school year.
Read
July 2, 2012This book focuses on the culture of these particular West African schoolchildren and what they experience while runnning to school. There is a lot of imagery; the schoolchildren use their five senses. Teachers can use this book to promote diversity.
April 30, 2013
This is a good book for teachers to promote divertisy in thier classroom. It talks about African children and thier journey to school. It teaches children to always use your 5 senses. I think this would be a good book in k-2.
Read
October 2, 2016The book Running the Road to ABC is so great for this type of literature. It shows how students in Haiti will do anything to expand their education, even if it means getting up and running to school for multiple miles.
Read
November 28, 2011This book looks at what school is like in Haiti. Students can compare how school is the same or different.
August 5, 2013
1997 CSKing Illustrator Honor
March 18, 2014
The use of color and detail in the illustrations was fantastic. Also, it was a great book to present another culture.
July 14, 2015
Another terrible read! It just kept going on and on, and had no plot to make it seem like it was going anywhere.
June 15, 2016
A poetic telling of children making their way to school in Haiti. This would be good paired with other books about how children get to school around the world.
January 12, 2018
This book is a thrilling story of children going to school. They run and they run and they run to get there. The children are so excited to be going to school to learn together! I enjoyed his book because I felt the story. I felt them running and the author almost take you on that journey with the children. I would use this in the classroom when children may seem like they are not taking advantage of the privilege of school.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews