John Henry

By: Julius Lester

Genre: Traditional Folklore

Age Range: 1st-4th grade. Children will be able to tell fantasy from reality and can strengthen their imagination through the use of personification in the book, allows children to become familiar with death, and the vivid illustrations assist in keeping attention.

Plot: John Henry is tall-tale in American history. He was born and immediately began to grow and grow, and in the days that followed proved to be larger than life. He first beat Ferret-faced Freddy in a race around town, then with his two twenty pound sledge-hammers swung his way through a boulder that not even dynamite could blow though. Next, came a difficult challenge for John Henry. While working on the railroad the boss brought in a steam drill to get through the mountain that stood in front of them. John Henry challenged the steam engine to a race and won. Sadly, John Henry worked his big heart too hard and had died. The morning after, John Henry was placed on a flatbed railroad car and taken to Washington D.C. with crowds of people cheering and crying as he passed.

Characters: John Henry, the Sun

Setting: Virginia in the late 1800's

Theme: Near the end of the book there is quote. It reads: "Dying ain't important. Everybody does that. What matters is how well you do your living." This reflects the story well because John Henry helped when he could and worked hard with a positive attitude.

Illustrations: Done by Jerry Pinkney. Vivid enough to keep the attention of younger kids attention and good use of color.

Award: Caldecott Medal 1995