Review: JOHN HENRY by Julius Lester

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lester, Julius. 1994. John Henry. Ill. by Jerry Pinkney. New York: Dial Books. ISBN 0590539361.

2. PLOT SUMMARY
As detailed in the introduction, Lester retells the story of the folk hero, John Henry, using various versions of the song as well as his own recollections of the story. Lester takes us from the birth of this extraordinary man through his adventures and leads all the way to his burial at the White House lawn.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Lester’s use of figurative language make this version of the John Henry folk tale a perfect read aloud especially since it is told in a storytelling format. His use of metaphors and similes are evident throughout the story, such as his description of Ferret-Faced Freddy’s voice as sounding “like bat wings on tombstones.” He also uses many other literary devices to help make the story flow and capture the reader/listener.

The watercolor illustrations by Jerry Pinkney add depth to an already superior telling of a classic folktale. The style in which they are painted almost make them jump off the page. The strength of John Henry is made evident through the details Pinkney includes in his illustrations of the hero; his cheekbones are pronounced, the muscles in his arms are prominent in many of the pictures, and his enormous size is portrayed by the way in which he is drawn on each page. He pays special attention to ensuring the physical details of the African American characters are consistent and authentic. Overall, a wonderfully illustrated book!

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “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.”

PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY review: “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.”

5. CONNECTIONS
John Henry is just one of many African American folktales. It would definitely fit into any tall tale/folktale unit.

This book would work right into a lesson about figurative language. It is filled with examples of literacy devices such as metaphors, similes, alliteration, personification, exaggeration and many others.