Luann's Reviews > John Henry

This is a very nice version of the John Henry story. I don't remember ever hearing about Ferret-Faced Freddy and the bet that John Henry made with him which then turned him into Frederick the Friendly. This also tells the story of John Henry clearing a boulder that dynamite couldn't break and racing a steam drill to create a tunnel through a mountain. One disadvantage of such a comprehensive story, though, is that it is too long for me to read aloud as part of a library lesson.

I loved the colorful way the story was written, with lots of comparisons using nature. For example: "...he was so fast, the wind was out of breath trying to keep up with him." Or, "His voice sounded like bat wings on tombstones" (speaking of Ferret-Faced Freddy).

The illustrations fit very well with the story, but for some reason they just aren't my favorite. I can see that they are very well done and I'm not disputing that they merit a Caldecott honor. They just aren't my favorite. Not sure why. I really liked Jerry Pinkney's illustrations in Noah's Ark.

The library book that I read came as part of a kit with an audio cassette narrated by Samuel L. Jackson. The audio was great! Samuel L. Jackson does a wonderful job with the narration, and I really enjoyed the background music and sound effects that went with it. The audio really added to my experience with the book.