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. John Henry gains respects from the townspeople due to his courage and strength . Thornton’s charcoal drawings deftly capture the triumphal spirit of this cautionary tale.