Robert D. San Souci’s “John Henry: The Steel-Driving Man” feels almost like a “Disney-fied” version of the John Henry myth: the story is reduced to its wholesome qualities (family, friendship, etc.), the language has a target audience of younger readers (second grade or so), and the illustrations (by Andrew Glass) are very cartoonish in their nature. Souci’s version incorporates a great deal of detail from the many versions of the folk song (including the measurements of the holes dug by John and the machine), but simultaneously attempts to make the story accessible to the young children of today. An interesting point in Souci’s version comes with John Henry’s death: Souci writes that John’s “soul boarded the train only he could see” (11). The simplification of life and death in “John Henry: The Steel-Driving Man” makes the myth much more appropriate for younger readers of the story.

Citation:
San Souci, Robert D., and Andrew Glass. "John Henry: The Steel-Driving Man." Larger Than Life: The Adventures of American Legendary Heroes. New York: Doubleday, 1991. 1-12. Print. ( )