John Henry

Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
Look inside
Paperback
$8.99 US
9.5"W x 11.5"H x 0.13"D  
On sale Dec 01, 1999 | 40 Pages | 978-0-14-056622-2
| Preschool - 3
Reading Level: Lexile AD620L
Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney's warm, humorous retelling of a popular African-American folk ballad.

When John Henry was born the birds, bears, rabbits, and even a unicorn came to see him. He grew so fast, he burst right through the porch roof, and laughed so loud, he scared the sun! Soon John Henry is swinging two huge sledgehammers to build roads, pulverizing boulders, and smashing rocks to smithereens. He's stronger than ten men and can dig through a mountain faster than a steam drill. Nothing can stop John Henry, and his courage stays with us forever.

A Caldecott Honor Book

* "This is a tall tale and heroic myth, a celebration of the human spirit . . . The story is told with rhythm and wit, humor and exageration, and with a heart-catching immediacy that connects the human and the natural world. " --Booklist, starred review

"Another winning collaboration from the master storyteller and gifted artist of Tales of Uncle Remus fame." --School Library Journal

"A great American hero comes fully to life in this epic retelling filled with glorious, detailed watercolors . . .  This carefully crafted updating begs to be read aloud for its rich, rhythmic storytelling flow, and the suitably oversize illustrations amplify the text." --Publishers Weekly
Julius Lester is a celebrated author whose accolades include a Newbery Honor and a Coretta Scott King Award. He is also a National Book Award finalist, a National Book Critics Circle nominee, and a recipient of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. In addition to his critically acclaimed writing career, Mr. Lester has distinguished himself as a civil rights activist, musician, photographer, radio talk-show host, and professor. For 32 years he taught at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He lives in western Massachusetts. View titles by Julius Lester
Jerry Pinkney was one of America’s most admired children’s book illustrators and illustrated more than one hundred picture books. He won the Caldecott Medal and five Caldecott Honors, five Coretta Scott King Awards, five New York Times Best Illustrated Awards, and many other prizes and honors. He illustrated two books written by his wife of sixty-one years, Gloria Jean: Back Home and The Sunday Outing. Jerry Pinkney passed away in 2021 at the age of eighty-two. Learn more about his life and legacy at JerryPinkneyStudio.com View titles by Jerry Pinkney
  • WINNER
    ALA Notable Book
  • WINNER
    Caldecott Honor Book

About

Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney's warm, humorous retelling of a popular African-American folk ballad.

When John Henry was born the birds, bears, rabbits, and even a unicorn came to see him. He grew so fast, he burst right through the porch roof, and laughed so loud, he scared the sun! Soon John Henry is swinging two huge sledgehammers to build roads, pulverizing boulders, and smashing rocks to smithereens. He's stronger than ten men and can dig through a mountain faster than a steam drill. Nothing can stop John Henry, and his courage stays with us forever.

A Caldecott Honor Book

* "This is a tall tale and heroic myth, a celebration of the human spirit . . . The story is told with rhythm and wit, humor and exageration, and with a heart-catching immediacy that connects the human and the natural world. " --Booklist, starred review

"Another winning collaboration from the master storyteller and gifted artist of Tales of Uncle Remus fame." --School Library Journal

"A great American hero comes fully to life in this epic retelling filled with glorious, detailed watercolors . . .  This carefully crafted updating begs to be read aloud for its rich, rhythmic storytelling flow, and the suitably oversize illustrations amplify the text." --Publishers Weekly

Author

Julius Lester is a celebrated author whose accolades include a Newbery Honor and a Coretta Scott King Award. He is also a National Book Award finalist, a National Book Critics Circle nominee, and a recipient of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. In addition to his critically acclaimed writing career, Mr. Lester has distinguished himself as a civil rights activist, musician, photographer, radio talk-show host, and professor. For 32 years he taught at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He lives in western Massachusetts. View titles by Julius Lester
Jerry Pinkney was one of America’s most admired children’s book illustrators and illustrated more than one hundred picture books. He won the Caldecott Medal and five Caldecott Honors, five Coretta Scott King Awards, five New York Times Best Illustrated Awards, and many other prizes and honors. He illustrated two books written by his wife of sixty-one years, Gloria Jean: Back Home and The Sunday Outing. Jerry Pinkney passed away in 2021 at the age of eighty-two. Learn more about his life and legacy at JerryPinkneyStudio.com View titles by Jerry Pinkney

Awards

  • WINNER
    ALA Notable Book
  • WINNER
    Caldecott Honor Book

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