Jeanette Winter does a wonderful job depicting the struggles and hope that slaves encountered and experienced as they tried to escape north to freedom. The book begins with "A Note About the Story" in which information is given about 1840s America and the creation of the Underground Railroad. It's an easy-to-understand depiction of the network and general information about what happened to runaway slaves. Harriet Tubman and Peg Leg Joe are mentioned as "conductors" on the Railroad. The true story about "a harmless folk song" is shared here and Winter explains that the song actually included secret directions for following the Underground Railroad. The geographical locations and their ties to the song are also explained. This historical fiction story starts by introducing Peg Leg Joe and explaining that he was a sailor and carpenter. He worked for masters who owned slaves and as he moved from one plantation to another, he taught the song to freedom. Once the slaves learned the song, he left to the next plantation. One of the story's main characters, Molly, saw her man James sold to a new master one day. and realized their family would be ripped apart. That night, she and James sang the song together, looked out at the stars and made the decision to escape with their son Isaiah, an older woman named Hattie, and Hattie's grandson As they ran, they sang verses of the song to find their way. They traveled by night for weeks, stole sleep during the day, and encountered some people who showed kindnesses. But they also faced dangers. Finally, they met Peg Leg Joe at the Ohio River and he rowed them across. There, he explained "a path of houses stretched like a train leading north to Canada." He called it the Underground Railroad and said it "carried riders to freedom." The family traveled wearily and eventually rested and hid in homes and barns with the help of people who cared about them. They eventually follow "the drinking gourd," (aka The Big Dipper) to freedom.

Peg Leg Joe was an unsung hero in my opinion. Everybody knows about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad yet not many know about Joe. There were numerous others I understand. This book does a really good job of explaining the Underground Railroad and I love the way it inserted the song directly into the text. This story blended reading and singing and that is always a plus for young learners. ( )

"Follow the Drinking Gourd" was so well done.The images and the text were beautiful and emotional. I really appreciated the note about the story before you begin reading. It sets the reader up with factual information before you begin reading. This book is about a man called Peg Leg Joe who wrote a song which was actually a guide/map for slaves to follow the underground railroad to safety. He would get hired at plantations and teach the slaves the song, and once they had learned it, he would move on to a different plantation. When the time was right, the slaves sang the song and followed the “drinking gourd” which was actually the big dipper. They followed it north and it led them across the country. They encountered animals, hunger, and helpful strangers along the way. It was exhausting and required them to walk at night and sleep during the day. The song detailed rivers and streams they would cross until finally the song led them to the Ohio River where Peg Leg Joe was waiting with a boat to bring them to safety. Then they travelled from house to house of safety along the underground railroad until they reached Canada safely, and they were free. This story was beautiful and uplifting and gives the reader an inside look into a hard time in history. ( )

Follow the Drinking Gourd is one of the more lengthy books that I have read so far this semester. The words on each page is a guideline for each picture. Sometimes the pictures give more details of the story than the words do. The looks on the slaves faces were full of worry and exhaustion. One thing that I noticed was that the clothes were brightly colored instead of dirty and old. Harriet Tubman is the most well-known conductor of the underground railroad. I like how this book shows a white man, Peg Leg Joe, helping slaves find freedom. While reading this book, I do not have a full grasp of what the slaves had to go through while they were traveling. It is hard to teach children about slavery because their minds cannot grasp the true, cruel reality of it. I really liked how the lyrics and notes of the Drinking Gourd song were included at the end of the book. ( )

This is a great book to read when you are trying to teach your students the history of slavery. It is about a man named Peg Leg Joe who would work on different plantations, and at night he would teach slaves a song that would give them the road map to freedom. One day a man named James was going to be sold to another slave owner and be taken away from his family. James and his family left that night to escape to freedom. They sung the song Peg Leg Joe taught them, and went through a lot of hardships to make it to freedom. ( )