January's Sparrow

Patricia Polacco books are always the BEST! In this book she shares a bit of history for our children to learn about and remember. Thank you, Patricia Polacco!

I'm such a Patricia Polacco fan. This story was painful to read in parts, but it was told and illustrated in such a way that it paid honor to January and Sadie so I just pushed through the hard truths on the pages. This will go alongside another Polacco favorite, Pink and Say. I'm thankful that there were good people to help Sadie and her family flee the horror and inhumanity that they were forced to endure in Kentucky. Patricia Polacco--when I see a book with your name on the cover I already know that it will be something special. Thank you for Thunder Cake and Mr Falker and all the rest!

Outstanding author/illustrator--highly recommend!

This is one of those books that you will keep forever, whether you teach history or manage a library or just love to own a fuller depiction of a very sad and difficult time. I have never seen a picture book before that follows a family of runaways slaves and shows how the human link across a broad landscape can make all the difference in the world. I love this book. I cry and smile each time I read it.

January's Sparrow was an amazing account of the effects slavery had on people. It's a time period that many people tend to push to the side because it is painful to uncover. However, Palacco is no stranger to teaching us about the tough stuff and her story-telling leaves you with a feeling as if you were there. Great read for 5th grade.

I read this book over several days to a 4th grade class. They learned so much!

Patricia is an amazing author who tells it like it is or was. She makes the pages come alive by connecting to the readers lives and surroundings. January Sparrow is just another one of her amazing picture books that share about the struggles African Americans lived through and should not have had to. I dare you to read it without a tissue near by. I have yet to read one of her books without a tissue box on my lap.

Patricia Polacco tells a beautiful fact-based story of a family trying to stay together and escape the horrors of slavery. How fortunate we are to have her tell the story in a such a beautiful way. This precious story would have gone untold if it weren't for Patricia Polacco. Pink and Say by Polacco is also an excellent read.

I read this book to my grade 4 students. It took several periods over a couple of weeks to read because of the class discussion the book provoked. The inside cover portrays a man, tied with a rope, bloody, looking terrified. One of the black students began to cry at the image. I closed the book and the children and I talked about slavery and the horrors of it. We agreed to give the book another try and I was so glad we did. The book explores the topic of slavery in a straight forward, uderstandable way from the point of view of a young girl growing up as a slave. Her family escapes from the master but live in fear of being recaptured. I would recommend that an adult read this book together with youger children as the content can be scary.