Follow the Drinking Gourd

by Bernardine Connelly

Illus. in full color. "Winter's story begins with a peg-leg sailor who aids slaves on their escape on the Underground Railroad. While working for plantation owners, Peg Leg Joe teaches the slaves a song about the drinking gourd (the Big Dipper). A couple, their son, and two others make their escape by following the song's directions. Rich paintings interpret the strong story in a clean, primitive style enhanced by bold colors. The rhythmic compositions have an energetic presence that's compelling. A fine rendering of history in picturebook format."--(starred) Booklist.  

Genres: Historical Fiction, Picture Books, Childrens, Cultural, Race, African American

Library Binding

First published September 1, 1993

Reviews

[Ronyell · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Follow the Drinking Gourd” is another tender story from Rabbit Ears’ “American Heroes and Legends” series and it masterfully details the story of how a family of African-American slaves tried to escape slavery through the Underground Railroad. This story is clearly one of Rabbit Ears’ best stories and also their most dramatic story ever created.

Morgan Freeman’s tender narration is perfect for this story as he narrates with emotion and coolness about a family’s efforts to escape the hardships of the cotton plantation. Morgan Freeman’s highlighted moment in this story comes when he makes a “FWAP!” sound effect when Mary’s mother covers her daughter’s mouth with her hand. Taj Mahal’s guitar music is memorizing and perfect for the mood of this story, which is sad and tender as he expresses the family’s feelings about being slaves in a sorrowful guitar solo and when he sings the lyrics to the song “Follow the Drinking Gourd,” he sounds so dense and sad yet beautiful and peaceful. Yvonne Buchanan’s illustrations are colorful and beautiful especially of the image of Mary herself as a light brown haired beauty who wears an old fashioned red checkered dress, as shown on the cover.

“Follow the Drinking Gourd” is a true dramatic story about the Underground Railroad and it shows the bravery of the family in a positive light as they struggled to find the freedom that they longed for. This story is a true masterpiece and is probably one of Rabbit Ears’ finest stories ever told and children ages five and up will truly appreciate this story of courage and wit.


Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

[N_amandascholz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am listening to a recording of this book with music by Taj Mahal. I finished this "listening" on Thursday -- on the way to class. I liked Morgan Freeman's straight-forward reading of the story and the accompanying music, especially because a song was key to the story.

[Dora Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rabbit Ears productions often use professional actors and musicians to create their audiobook and cartoon adaptations of children’s books, and the results seem to be reliably a cut above other adaptations. In Follow the Drinking Gourd, Morgan Freeman reads the story of Mary, a young girl who lives with her mother and brother on a plantation; her father was sold away several years before. Mary and her family escape from the plantation with the help of a mysterious journeyman-carpenter named Peg Leg Joe (actually an agent of the Underground Railroad), and the coded lyrics of the folksong “Follow the Drinking Gourd.”

The music is composed and performed by Taj Mahal; Mahal uses guitar, banjo, harmonica, and other traditional bluegrass/folk instruments to create a soundtrack that enriches and supports the story. Both the music and Freeman’s rich, dramatic narration make this a pleasure to listen to. Yvonne Buchanan’s watercolor illustrations are full of lush colors and textures; her characters have life, motion, and wonderfully expressive faces.

The production’s high-quality music, artwork, and Morgan Freeman’s narration all work together to make this a strong addition to any collection. It would be a good complement to programs on slavery, the Underground Railroad, or even the roots of American folk music. Winner of numerous awards, including the 1993 Chicago International Children's Film Festival Award, the 1993 New York Festival Gold Medal, and the Parents' Choice Silver Honors.

[Rachel Mong · Rating 4 out of 5]

A family of slaves follows instructions from an inconspicuous folksong to make a break for freedom. There are dangers along the way, but thanks to help from The Drinking Gourd and the Underground Railroad, they gain freedom and are reunited with their Papa.
Follow the Drinking Gourd is a multicultural book, as it centers around a typically underrepresented group in literature (African-Americans). Additionally, it is historical fiction and realistic fiction as it recounts the plight that many actual slaves took in order to gain freedom.
I would use this book to teach about organization. The mystery of the Drinking Gourd draws the reader into the story. The folksong and references to Peg Leg Joe that are repeated throughout the story keep the suspense alive. Will the characters make it to freedom? This book could also be integrated into a social studies lesson on slavery and the Underground Railroad. There are also elements of science that could be integrated, as we find out the Drinking Gourd refers to the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper leading the slaves to the North Star. For writing instruction, this book has a very strong example of a lead and could be used to help students learn the elements of a good lead. The opening page gives clues as to what is to come and draws the reader in to learn more.
This is a well-done account of the dangers that slaves faced whilst running to freedom. It will make you sad, angry, and happy all in one book. The book level is 4.8. I could not find the guided reading level, but I would estimate it to be at N or O.

[James Biser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic story of escaping slavery and following the North Star to free country. A family travels to the north where they meet their father. They reunite in the area where Quakers help them by ferry up the river. They escape.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A harrowing tale of escape on the Underground Railroad with beautiful illustrations

[Elizabeth Dock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed Morgan Freeman’s narration of this.

[Ammie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Rabbit Ear audio with this is fantastic.

[Brigid Sullivan]

This books recounts the story of a group of slaves as they attempt to escape North to freedom, following the Big Dipper (drinking gourd). It discusses how the slaves stick together, hide, and share songs and chants to keep their mind focused on finding freedom through the Underground Railroad. The pictures are beautiful and the story is very moving yet appropriate for young children. The author makes use of the chants and songs that slaves sang during the 18th and 19th century. It evokes the African history of the slaves through the images and words. This would be a good book to use to teach about symbolism or the history of slavery in the US. There is an audio tape about this book so it could also be used to talk about story telling and how to tell a story. You could also use it to teach visualizing and how this strategy help activate prior knowledge and reading comprehension. It could also be used in a unit on community or personal narratives.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

CIP: "A young slave girl sets off north with her brother and mother, following the star in the Drinking Gourad, or Big Dipper, that points to freedom."

A young slave girl and her family escape to freedom with the assistance of a mysterious man named Peg Leg Joe and a song that instructs them to follow the Drinking Gourd, aka, the Big Dipper. The beautiful watercolor illustrations by Yvonne Buchanan add immensely to this historical story of the struggle for freedom. A great introduction to our nation's history for readers age 7 and up.

Reviews: none found for this author/edition