School Library Journal Starred Review (Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Gr 4 Up-"Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy. The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart." These words by Frederick Douglass are offered in an endnote to provide context for the 13 spirituals included in this volume. Readers will learn how the book began, with Wood's acrylic paintings inspired by the songs; the author then studied the paintings and researched the songs before writing the text. Each spread features a painting on the recto and one or two paragraphs of text along with the music and verses on the verso. There is also a full-spread painting of a group of slaves riding a metaphorical railroad conducted by Harriet Tubman preceding the spread for the song "Get on Board—the Gospel Train," which also includes an archival photo of Tubman. Some of the songs will be familiar, such as "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore" and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," while others, like "Ain't Gonna Study War No More," "Go Down, Moses," and "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen," will resonate with older readers. The vibrant paintings often incorporate quilting motifs and historical events. Original lyrics are featured in the back matter. An archival photo of the Jubilee Singers of Fisk University in Nashville, TN, who popularized the spiritual as a musical form in the 1870s, appears in the introduction. VERDICT This is an excellent resource for music and art teachers as well as for social studies and U.S. history lessons.— Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schools

ALA Booklist (Fri Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Beautiful illustrations and short, informative paragraphs come together to tell the history of songs that became American slave songs. The book opens by introducing readers to slave songs and describing how they transformed into spirituals. Thirteen spirituals are featured here, and the descriptions, which include historical, biographical, and biblical context, are all accompanied by evocative paintings. Each paragraph invites readers to notice themes in the paintings that are repeated in the lyrics and raises questions to encourage critical engagement with the text. Wood's gorgeous paintings are full of saturated colors and evocative imagery ch as luminous blue water resembling stained glass at tie together the concepts at hand. Sheet music and lyrics are included for each tune, and the back matter contains more lyrics, a comprehensive glossary, and lots of suggestions for further reading. A brief note explains that although slaves sang these songs, that does not mean they felt happy. While excellent for music classes, the wealth of historical context makes this a good pick for lessons on the history of U.S. slavery as well.

Horn Book (Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

Thirteen spreads each focus on a famous spiritual and include interpretations and background information, the musical score, and an acrylic painting inspired by it; "some of the earliest recorded" lyrics to each are appended. Wood's powerful folk art is an excellent focal point for this useful introduction to the American slave experience and the resultant musical form. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos.