Running the Road to ABC [Hardcover]

Denize Lauture (Author), Reynold Ruffins (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1996

Six Haitian children awaken before dawn each morning to run barefoot to school, a journey that is complemented by the sounds of nature and the bright morning sun, in a rhythmic ABC story that captures the nation's hill and meadow regions.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Spare, poetic text and folksy gouache illustrations celebrate the joys of learning as a group of Haitian children make their way to school in the pre-dawn hours. Ages 5-8. (Jan.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-5?The joy of learning shines through in this lyrical, freewheeling tale of a group of Haitian children on their way to school. Leaving at dawn, these barefoot students race through the countryside and town to their school to learn to read and write another letter, sound, word, line, and page in the "great and beautiful books on the Road to ABC." The text flows along with the youngsters, evoking the sounds of the early morning and the shapes of the varied terrain over which they travel. Details of the town with its bread sellers and horse tamers provide another memorable backdrop to the children's passage. This rhythmic, richly descriptive account of a "day in the life" of these young Haitians takes readers into this activity as they follow along. With their vibrant Caribbean colors of turquoise, greens, pinks and oranges, the full- and double-page illustrations are perfectly attuned to the text. Ruffins's folk-art style, including the details of flora and fauna and folks, is a feast for the eyes. The slanting hills and varied perspectives create a sense of movement that keep readers' eyes following the contours of the landscape. An inspirational celebration of reading and the desire to learn.?Carol Schene, Taunton Public Schools, MA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; 1st edition (May 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689805071
• ISBN-13: 978-0689805073
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,146,258 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning, May 5, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Running the Road to ABC (Hardcover)

The illustrations are absolutely stunning; the text is delightful and touching. Haitian children travel long distances in the wee hours of the morning without shoes to simply get to school. What a wake-up call for those of us in the U.S. struggling to get our children dressed and off to school. I bought it for my three-year-old daughter who is half Haitian, but it is a beautiful tale for any child (or adult).

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beatuiful Book, January 11, 2011

By 

KD - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Running The Road To ABC (Aladdin Picture Books) (Paperback)

This book has beautiful illustrations of Haiti. I went to Haiti in the summer on a medical mission trip to an orphanage. We are now adopting from Haiti. I was looking for a children's book to read to my toddlers about the Haitian culture/Haitian school children. It is great, just what I was looking for.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great!, December 9, 2010

By 

LeeAnne Watkins - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Running The Road To ABC (Aladdin Picture Books) (Paperback)

We'll be using this book as a part of our Sunday School classes teaching about Haiti. It's really good, and a nice follow-up to the time in Sunday School we spent learning about the importance of education when we taught the Greg Mortenson's 3 Cups of Tea books . . .