Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold

February 2, 2010 by Administrator
Filed under Great Books for Girls

Reviewed by author, Pam Allyn.

February is the month in which we celebrate the rich and varied history and culture of Black Americans. Faith Ringgold is an incredible storyteller and has challenged young readers to tests the boundaries of their imaginations while contemplating history and reality in a dozen children’s books. Exploring this story together, you and your girl can celebrate Black History Month by experiencing the wonderful abilities of Ringgold, a Black American author, singer and artist. Ringgold’s story will help you and your girl talk about the slave experience on the Underground Railroad. By carefully weaving history with the dreamlike, innocence of a young girl, Ringgold tells Cassie’s fantastic story as she and her brother, Be Be, soar above oceans that look like cups of tea and meet Harriet Tubman’s train in the sky. Aunt Harriet, as she is called, explains how every 100 years this railroad in the sky retraces the route to freedom of the Underground Railroad. Cassie flies through the night sky to catch up with Be Be, who has gotten on Aunt Harriet’s train. Cassie’s fear and turmoil at losing Be Be mirror the complex set of emotions that Ringgold envisions for the slaves who travelled on the Underground Railroad so many years ago. Aunt Harriet’s whispered instructions and trail of clues guide Cassie on her trip, and help her to overcome her fears and find her brother. Cassie is overjoyed and relieved when she is finally reunited with Be Be in Canada, where the train in the sky ends its long, tumultuous route, and where the passengers of the real Underground Railroad finally found their freedom. Throughout the story, Ringgold creates a compelling journey through spare but moving text and collage-like illustrations. With incredible skill, Ringgold helps to ensure that we never forget the cost of freedom and always remember to celebrate the small gifts every day brings.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER:

Pam Allyn is the author of The Complete 4 for Literacy, a guide for educators, and coauthor of the six-book series The Complete Year in Reading and Writing. She is also the author of What to Read When: The Books and Stories to Read With Your Child – and All the Best Times to Read Them. Pam is widely known as a motivational speaker on the subject of raising lifelong readers and writers. It is her personal quest to bring literacy to every child stems from a deeper desire to bring dignity to every child, and to empower children to read and write powerfully, effectively and with passion and delight. Her hope is that all children will grow up able to fulfill their dreams and leave their positive imprint on the world. Pam has started a not-for-profit, LitWorld International, Inc., to further this vision.