Follow Me Down to Nicodemus Town by A. LaFaye

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Follow Me Down to Nicodemus Town

A. LaFaye, Author

Nicole Tadgell, Illustrator

Albert Whitman & Company, Historical fiction, Jan. 1, 2019

Suitable for Ages: 5-8

Themes: African-American, Pioneer Settlement, Native Americans, Community, Kansas

Opening: The whoo-eeeh-follow-me holler of the six o-clock train rumbled right into Dede’s dreams. She rode across a prairie so wide even the angels couldn’t see the end of it. Her family had a plan. They would own a place in that open land.

Synopsis:

The Pattons want to leave sharecropping behind and have a farm of their very own. Mama sews dresses and Papa builds furniture to make extra money at night, and Dede shines shoes at the train station. It will take years before her family will save enough to pay off their debt and by their own place.

One day Dede sees a notice offering free land for colored folks in Nicodemus, Kansas. The Pattons pack their bags and board a train. It’s time for them to claim and stake out a homestead near the brand-new town of Nicodemus. They build a sod home along the bank of the Solomon River before winter. Papa stakes out the boundaries of their claim.  Before they can plow and plant their fields, they must face their first winter on the prairie. While they hunt for food, they meet Shanka Sabe, a member of the Native American Osage Nation, who shares his food with them. Will the Pattons  find a better future for themselves?

Why I like this book:

The cover is gorgeous, as are the expressive and detailed watercolor illustrations by Nicole Tadgell. They compliment A. LaFaye’s uplifting and poetic narrative about these African-American pioneers traveling west — building sod homes, hunting food, surviving harsh winters, plowing the spring fields, building fences, planting crops, meeting new neighbors and watching a town come to life.

Follow Me Down to Nicodemus Town, is a perfect classroom share for Black History month. It is a wonderful peek into a period of history that few know about. Nicodemus was founded in the late 1870s by Exodusters — former slaves and sharecroppers, like Dede’s family, who flocked to the Kansas prairie to stake out land, build a homestead and farm. I love that it is shared in a children’s picture book.

Resources: Make sure you check out the historical information About the Exodusters in the back of the book. There is another important piece of history that is briefly touched on in the book — the Native Americans who were forced to sell their lands in the Great Plains and move to Oklahoma. Check out this website, to learn more about Nicodemus and the amazing people who settled there. Each year the current residents, the families of former resident, and the descendants of the original settlers celebrate the Nicodemus Emancipation and Homecoming during the third week in July.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.

*Review copy provided by publisher.

About Patricia Tiltonhttps://childrensbooksheal.wordpress.comI want "Children's Books Heal" to be a resource for parents, grandparents, teachers and school counselors. My goal is to share books on a wide range of topics that have a healing impact on children who are facing challenges in their lives. If you are looking for good books on grief, autism, visual and hearing impairments, special needs, diversity, bullying, military families and social justice issues, you've come to the right place. I also share books that encourage art, imagination and creativity. I am always searching for those special gems to share with you. If you have a suggestion, please let me know.

24 thoughts on “Follow Me Down to Nicodemus Town by A. LaFaye”

  4. I’m so honored and thrilled to see Follow Me Down to Nicodemus Town featured here! Thank you so much. I want to help spread the word about the amazing Exoduster who established Nicodemus and so many more. Thank you!

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    • Your book is my kind of story to share. I am pleased you enjoyed my review! I knew nothing about these brave pioneers and they deserve their place in history. You don’t have a twitter handle. I shared on twitter, with many others sharing and on FB and LinkedIn.

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  7. Love the language you’ve shared with us! Looking forward to reading this book. And am thinking how many stories there are of displacement in this world to “make way” for others. Thanks for this review! I’ll be adding this to my reading list. Cheers!

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  9. That is a stunning opening paragraph. It is great to see a book focusing on both African American and Native American communities historically. Great find for this month. And I do love Nicole’s art.

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    • Nicole’s art really makes this story shine! Yes, the African American – Native American community really interested me. Sad, that the Osage Nation was sent to Oklahoma — wonder if they were part of the Trail of Tears.

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