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John Henry

Author Julius Lester
Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
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Paperback
$8.99 US
Penguin Young Readers | Puffin Books
On sale Dec 01, 1999 | 40 Pages | 9780140566222
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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
  • WINNER
    ALA Notable Book
  • WINNER
    Caldecott Honor Book
Julius Lester was a celebrated author whose accolades include a Newbery Honor and a Coretta Scott King Award. He was 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 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. View titles by Julius Lester
JERRY PINKNEY was one of America’s most acclaimed illustrators. He won the Caldecott Medal, five Caldecott Honors, five Coretta Scott King Awards, five Coretta Scott King Honors, five New York Times Best Illustrated Awards, the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, the Society of Illustrators’ Original Art Show Lifetime Achievement Award, and many other prizes and honors. His long list of celebrated titles includes Mirandy and Brother Wind, The Little Red Hen, The Little Match Girl, and The Lion & The Mouse. 

His family includes a number of acclaimed children's book creators: his son, artist Brian Pinkney; his daughter-in-law, author and children's book editor Andrea Davis Pinkney; and his granddaughter, author-illustrator Charnelle Pinkney Barlow.

Jerry Pinkney passed away on October 20, 2021 at the age of 81. View titles by Jerry Pinkney

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

Awards

  • WINNER
    ALA Notable Book
  • WINNER
    Caldecott Honor Book

Author

Julius Lester was a celebrated author whose accolades include a Newbery Honor and a Coretta Scott King Award. He was 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 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. View titles by Julius Lester
JERRY PINKNEY was one of America’s most acclaimed illustrators. He won the Caldecott Medal, five Caldecott Honors, five Coretta Scott King Awards, five Coretta Scott King Honors, five New York Times Best Illustrated Awards, the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, the Society of Illustrators’ Original Art Show Lifetime Achievement Award, and many other prizes and honors. His long list of celebrated titles includes Mirandy and Brother Wind, The Little Red Hen, The Little Match Girl, and The Lion & The Mouse. 

His family includes a number of acclaimed children's book creators: his son, artist Brian Pinkney; his daughter-in-law, author and children's book editor Andrea Davis Pinkney; and his granddaughter, author-illustrator Charnelle Pinkney Barlow.

Jerry Pinkney passed away on October 20, 2021 at the age of 81. View titles by Jerry Pinkney

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