Set in 1838, this is the story of young Negro boy who has made his mind up to run north to escape slavery. He will have to leave his beloved hound dog behind but he had to escape...
Dragonfly Books has sent me a copy of this book for review (thank you). It has been published, so you can find a copy at your local bookstore. It would be a perfect book to add to your child's library during Black History Month.
James left Zeus behind because dog's make noise and bark and it's hard enough to sneak away with out that extra problem. However, Zeus wasn't listening. And it's a good thing he wasn't, because James needed him.
The subtitle of the book is: How James Escaped with the Help of His Faithful Dog. James is desperate enough that when Zeus barks, he picks up a stick and intends to beat him away from his path. It's a good thing he has it in hand because the bushes part and the slave-catcher dogs are upon him! They both fight them off and run.
The author does a good job of expressing the fear James feels as he attempts to escape. Zeus is a very vital part of escape. This based on true story and that sends chills up and down my spine. The artwork done by E B Lewis is rich and engaging. James might be scared and running, but the country he travels through is beautiful.
Teach your child a bit of history about slavery and the brave men and women who defied the odds and escaped or died trying. A good resource is African Burial Grounds, a part of the National Park Service. Here is their webpage: http://www.nps.gov/afbg/index.htm . They have a lot of resources online that you can use to look up further information on this part of our history. Everyone needs to learn about the underground railroad and why the civil war came to be.
Happy reading.
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