BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lester, Julius. 1994. John Henry. Ill. by Jerry Pinkney. New York, NY. Dell Books. ISBN-10: 0140566228 ISBN-13: 978-0140566222
PLOT SUMMARY
The legend of John Henry is a tall tale of an African American folk hero. The story begins with his birth and rapid growth into a giant man with the strength of ten men. He has many adventures including running faster than a horse, using two twenty pound hammers to whittle a boulder into a road and ending with man against machine racing a steam engine through a mountain. John Henry is a big man with a giant heart.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDLING CULTURAL MARKERS)
Julius Lester has written another version of John Henry, putting some modern touches to an age old tall tale. The use of an indoor pool and a jacutzis (Jacuzzi) I thought was a bit out of character for a classic tale.
The story is set in the Allegheny Mountains in West Virginia. The preface points out that the truth behind the legend is hard to find. There probably was an ex-slave on whom the stories are based; however, no one knows for sure, because in the book it states, “My great-grandaddy’s brother’s cousin’s sister-in-law’s uncle’s aunt was there that morning” (Lester, p. 9) as John Henry outran Ferret-Faced Freddy’s big white horse in a race.
Lester included the animals from the Alleghany, except for the unicorn, to add realism to the setting of John Henry’s birthplace. Set in the 1800’s the clothing depicts the era perfectly, with the men wearing white long sleeved cotton shirts (rolled to the elbows), vests, long pants, bandana and hats, showing hard working men. The women, in their long sleeved blouses and long skirts also depict the hardness of mountain life. The city folks showed the African Americans to be in work clothes, while the white women had on nice dresses, hats with flowers, carrying umbrellas. The men are dressed the same as John Henry, with the exception of suspenders and plaid shirts. The hair, facial features and eyes of all the people were captured in perfect detail by illustrator Jerry Pinkney.
The author captures the language with phrase like sho’ nuf, I got some work to do, soda mom (for a carbonated drink) and “a mountain as big as a hurt feelings”. There is also some vocabulary that allows the reader to learn some new words like pulverized, flabbergasted, steam engine, parapets and smack-dab.
Pinkney’s illustrations of the mountains, animals, people, scenery, houses, railroad, steam engine perfectly captured the 1800’s era and wonderfully complemented the wonderful tall tale of John Henry. The readers will be able to feel as if they are standing in the crowd watching the story unfold with each page, while experiencing the adventures of John Henry’s feats.
John Henry embodies a good hard working man with a heart of gold. He sees every challenge as an adventure to be tackled with confidence and enthusiasm. The message I feel this story portrays is Hope. Especially with the rainbow that encircles John Henry throughout this story and his song:
I got a rainbow
RINGGGG! RINGGGG!
Tied round my shoulder
RINGGGG! RINGGGG!
It ain’t gon’ rain,
No, it ain’t gon’ rain.
RINGGGG! RINGGGG!
(Lester, p. 17)
This is an excellent tall tale that children will enjoy reading.
This was Jerry Pinkney and Julius Lesters first collaboration on a book. They make a perfect team with Lester’s excellent writing and Pinkey’s eye for capturing details. The full-color artwork was prepared using pencil, colored pencils and watercolor.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
From Publishers Weekly
A great American hero comes fully to life in this epic retelling filled with glorious, detailed watercolors. From his momentous birth, when all the animals come to see him and the sun won't go to bed, John Henry works wonders. As a child he helps his father by adding "a wing onto the house with an indoor swimming pool and one of them jacutzis"-and that's just before lunch. Other episodes trace the growth of his generous spirit. His greatest feat is, of course, in his battle against the steam drill, as he races the machine to cut through "a mountain as big as hurt feelings." He dies ("he had hammered so hard and so fast and so long that his big heart had burst"), but the onlookers understand that "dying ain't important.... What matters is how well you do your living." This carefully crafted updating begs to be read aloud for its rich, rhythmic storytelling flow, and the suitably oversize illustrations amplify the text. As only one example, the animal witnesses of his birth reappear throughout, most notably to watch John Henry's funeral train pass by. This may not supplant more traditional retellings, such as Terry Small's The Legend of John Henry, but it is a triumph of collaboration from the creators of the noted Uncle Remus retellings. All ages.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 5-Another winning collaboration from the master storyteller and gifted artist of Tales of Uncle Remus (Dial, 1987) fame. Based on several well-known versions of an African American folk ballad, Lester's tale is true to the essence of the steel-driving man; yet, it allows room for touches of whimsy and even includes some contemporary references that tie the hero to our own times. Told with just a trace of dialect, the story moves along briskly toward the climax. Its moral message of the importance of a well-lived life is clearly stated, and the ending is uplifting. Pinkney's marvelous watercolors, abundantly rich in detail, convey both the superior strength and the warm sense of humanity that make John Henry perhaps a more down-to-earth character than some other tall-tale figures. The paintings' muted earth tones add a realistic touch to the text, bringing this John Henry alive. When viewed from a distance, however, figures and details sometimes blend together, making the book better suited to independent reading that group sharing. It will appeal to an older audience than Ezra Jack Keats's John Henry (Knopf, 1987) and is a fine addition to any folklore collection.
Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, Wheeler School, Providence, RI
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Booklist
Ages 4 and up. Based on the popular black folk ballad about the contest between John Henry and the steam drill, this picture-book version is a tall tale and a heroic myth, a celebration of the human spirit. Like Lester's great collections of the Uncle Remus tales, also illustrated by Pinkney, the story is told with rhythm and wit, humor and exaggeration, and with a heart-catching immediacy that connects the human and the natural world. ("This was no ordinary boulder. It was as hard as anger . . . a mountain as big as hurt feelings"). The dramatic climax of the story is set at the time of the building of the railroad through the Allegheny Mountains in West Virginia, but Lester begins with the hero's birth, when all the birds and animals come to see the baby and the sun is so excited it forgets to go to bed. Pinkney's dappled pencil-and-watercolor illustrations capture the individuality of the great working man, who is part of the human community and who has the strength of rock and wind. John Henry swings his hammer so fast, he makes a rainbow around his shoulders, and the pictures show that light everywhere, "shining and shimmering in the dust and grit like hope that never dies." Hazel Rochman --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
AWARDS/HONORS
A Caldecott Honor Book
Winner of the Society of Illustrators' Gold Medal
An ALA Notable Book
An NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies
Winner of the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award
The Horn Book Fanfare List
A Parents Magazine Best Children's Book of the Year
A BCCB Blue Ribbon Book
Winner of the Aesop Prize
CONNECTIONS
This is a wonderful opportunity for children to explore the elements of legends and tall tales. They can learn about the legend of John Henry. Explore the meaning of strength and courage. They can learn about life in the 1800’s.
John Henry
Children's Song Lyrics and Sound Clip
Performed by Two of a Kind
http://www.songsforteaching.com/folk/johnhenry.php
Other Tall Tale Books
Kellogg, Steven. 1985. Paul Bunyan. ISBN-10: 0688058000 ISBN: -13: 9780688058005
Osborne, Mary Pope. 1991. American Tall Tales. ISBN-13: 9780679800897
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