This timeless ballad has been part of American folklore for over a century. Born with a hammer in his hand, John Henry discovers his true calling as a steel-driving man but he inevitably meets his match in a race against a steam drill that provides a powerful metaphor for the disruption and loss of innocence created by the industrial age.

Thornton’s soft charcoal drawings deftly capture the triumphal spirit of this cautionary tale.

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“This is a handsome edition of the John Henry Legend; deep, quiet charcoal drawings with soft shadows and textures face framed pages of text relating how John Henry came to be a ‘natural-born steel-driving man.'”

-Booklist

“Sanfield’s writing has a lyrical quality… a worthy addition to any collection of American folklore.”

-School Library Journal