I don’t often review picture books here. Dawn, Carrie and occasionally Lauren take on those books, and I think that they do a much better job. However, when we had the opportunity to review (and give away!) some books from Sleeping Bear Press, the title D Is for Drinking Gourd: An African American Alphabet really caught my eye.
I assumed that I was picking up a picture book that would share simple facts about the African American experience. I even thought I knew that the drinking gourd referred to an old-fashioned simple drinking vessel. Boy, was I wrong all around. The “drinking gourd” was actually another name for the Big Dipper, which pointed to the North star, which led the way to freedom. It was also a code word to help pass information via songs while on the Underground railroad.
Each page features a picture on a two-page spread, with a short verse about the letter’s topic. Then the sidebar has several very meaty paragraphs about the event or item in question (like the drinking gourd information I shared above). I learned so much in this book about the African American experience, either in a specific time in history or throughout the ages about things from Buffalo Soldiers to Cowboys, the Great Migration to Jazz, Politicians to the Tuskegee Airmen, Universities to Writers.
Many of the books from Sleeping Bear Press (including D Is for Drinking Gourd) have a downloadable PDF teacher’s guide, which includes reproducible worksheets, vocabulary sheets, a play scene and more. What an incredible resource for use at home or in the classroom.
I am so impressed with this book in particular, and I have a feeling that every single book in in every single alphabet series meets this high caliber (see Carrie’s reviews on the Discover the World series and the States Alphabet series, and B is for Buckaroo: A Cowboy Alphabet). I am happy to award my first picture-book 5 Star Reads label to this book.
One of you (U.S. residents) can win this book along with Sleeping Bear Press’s The Listeners (which we previously reviewed here and is linked to Dawn’s review). Just leave a comment if you’d like to win. We’ll announce the winner on February 17.
THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.
Check out some other past reviews of books we can also recommend for Black History Month.
J is for Jennifer who was jubilant to discover this delightful book. She jots joyfully at Snapshot.
Check out our current giveaways (we have a LOT this month). Subscribe to our feed. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter.
I love Sleeping Bear Press. We already have R is for Rhode Island and H is for Home Run and will be adding more to our collection. I hadn’t seen this book but it looks really great!
These alphabet books are wonderful for all ages. We have J is for Jack-o-Lantern and I love the way it is written with various levels to appeal to younger and older children alike. Thanks for the chance to win a copy of this one I’d be thrilled to win!
I have also really enjoyed these books with V is for viking, B is for bookworm and P is for Pilgrim. They have worked great with all the ages of my kids and not just little ones – great facts and information.
Keep telling that history:
Read the novel, Rescue at Pine Ridge, “RaPR”, a great story of black military history…the first generation of Buffalo Soldiers.
How do you keep a people down? ‘Never’ let them ‘know’ their history.
The 7th Cavalry got their butts in a sling again after the Little Big Horn Massacre, fourteen years later, the day after the Wounded Knee Massacre. If it wasn’t for the 9th Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers, there would of been a second massacre of the 7th Cavalry.
Read the novel, “Rescue at Pine Ridge”, 5 stars Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the youtube trailer commercial…and visit the website http://www.rescueatpineridge.com
I hope you’ll enjoy the novel. I wrote it from my mini-series movie of the same title, “RaPR” to keep my story alive. Hollywood has had a lot of strikes and doesn’t like telling our stories…its been “his-story” of history all along…until now. The movie so far has attached, Bill Duke directing, Hill Harper, Glynn Turman and a host of other major actors in which we are in talks with…see imdb.com at; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0925633/
When you get a chance, also please visit our Alpha Wolf Production website at; http://www.alphawolfprods.com and see our other productions, like Stagecoach Mary, the first Black Woman to deliver mail for Wells Fargo in Montana, in the 1890’s, “spread the word”.
Peace.
I would love to win a copy! I am a fan of Sleeping Bear Press.
Our family loves these alphabet books. We all have learned so much about our own state and our nation’s capital city. I’ve also used them with my upper-grade students. Although they are picture books, they are filled with great information!
We have never heard of this series, but I am sure my daughter would love to try it. Thanks.
I’d like to win!
Although I have not read any of these books, I found it interesting that the first one I hear about is G is for drinking Gourd. I work with gourds and produce all kinds of things from these wonderful vessels. I would love to read the book.
I would like to be included. Thanks.
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
These alphabet books are terrific. I’d love to add this one to our collection.
bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com
This looks like a very good book. I’d be thrilled to be entered. Thanks.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net
I am always looking for books to enhance my preschool classroom’s collection. I would be thrilled to add this one.
I like to have multi-cultural books in my kids library. Thanks.
I love to this this. It’d make a wonderful addition to our school library.
I would like to win. This would be a great book to display and share at my multi-cultural annual event. Thanks.
This sounds wonderful! I’d like to donate it to our neighborhood school – after reading it myself!
Looks like a great book! I’ll have to check out the others in the series too.
We would love these for our foster kiddos. They’d be thrilled if we won! Thanks for the chance.
We love these alphabet books and this one would be a really neat addition to our library. I’m all about learning things we don’t know much about!
This would be great for us!
I’d love these for my classroom
mj.coward[at]gmail.com
D is for Drinking Gourd: An African-American Alphabet Things have progressed (slowly but surely). I would love to teach my granddaughter her alphbet from this lovely bok
I’d love to win this for my daughter!
janemaritz at yahoo dot com
We posted about this giveaway at Winning Readings: http://winningreadings.blogspot.com/2010/02/d-is-for-drinking-gourd.html
I’d love to win this book. Thanks
If it’s not too late to enter… I’d love to win this for my niece.
Oh, I’d so love to win this. I love the other books in this series.
“D is for Drinking Gourd” has the rich flavors of the African American childhood. I love the illustrations and the informational descriptions of objects. I think I might have to add it to my list of best ABC picture books!