Reviews for Barefoot

The average rating for Barefoot based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2011-01-29 00:00:00 Ty HATCHER I loved the animal and human interconnectedness in this book. From the animals' perspective Barefoot (an escaping slave) is hunted by Heavy Boots (those trying to recapture him) and the young man who is fleeing makes use of the presence of the animals to find food, water, etc. It's an interesting way to tell a story about an escaping slave and the people attempting to recapture him and the people who are willing to help him. I appreciated the idea of the story and I was very grateful that the author's note mentioned some of what bothered me: mentioning that the animals didn't know they were being helpful, and yet asking kids to ask whether perhaps they did know; that latter question was okay with me. But I didn't like that in the story, the animals did seem to know a tad more what was going on that is reasonable to expect. I also didn't like the sort of magical content, the main instance being that while Barefoot is hiding in the marsh he inexplicably escapes getting any mosquito bites, while those same pests cover the Heavy Boots with bites, driving them away from the man escaping. I think it would have been a more powerful story if the escaping slave had been bitten as well. (I know there are great variations in how susceptible different individuals are to getting mosquito bites and perhaps the mosquitoes were attracted by the hunters' lanterns, but even so; I couldn't suspend disbelief.) I did like how it was made obvious that there were multiple slaves fleeing to freedom. And I think that the brief author's note at the end gave useful information about the Underground Railroad network. The illustrations were wonderfully atmospheric, and I like how that until toward the end, it was feet that were emphasized in the pictures of the humans. It's supposed to be night, and the pictures are so dark, even the one that shows the house with the quilt, and I think that was a good choice. This book could be a good choice for learning about and starting discussions about slavery and the Underground Railroad.

Review # 2 was written on 2020-07-28 00:00:00 Anant Upadhyay The main character in this story is the Barefoot, a slave attempting to escape on the Underground Railroad. The plot tells of the Barefoot moving in the night to freedom in the north. There is suspense in the movement of the animals and Barefoot who is trying to get away from the Heavy Boots who will take him back to the south. This story attempts to tell what it must have been like to run away from the people who were to return the Barefoot to the south. The inclusion of the quilt on the house helps to make the story more authentic and exciting. Freedom's spirit is strong with the Barefoot. The content will appeal to children, who will see the Barefoot's escape as a true adventure. This poetic story would be most interesting to children in third or fourth grade. Children in these grades are learning about slavery as a part of American history, and this book would fit in well as a classroom book. It would help some students that find history dry to find understanding, since the reader can almost hear the quick breathing of the escapee. Children will be able to discuss how the Barefoot must have felt as he ran.