BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lester, Julius. 1994. John Henry. New York: Dial Books. ISBN 0803716060

PLOT SUMMARY

The legendary life of John Henry is retold, from the day of his birth where all the animals, including a unicorn come to get a glimpse of the new baby and the sun won’t go to bed. When the oooh’s and aaaah’s of the animals and birds were heard by John Henry, he jumped from his mother’s arms and started growing. The next day, he woke the sun up so that he would have light to work by and helped his father add a wing to the house. When he decided to leave home to make his way in the world, his father gave him two twenty-pound sledgehammers with four-foot handles made of whale bone that had belonged to his grandfather. After he left home, he helped a road crew remove a boulder that was blocking the path of the road, and as he used the sledgehammers, he swung them so fast that he made a rainbow that draped itself around John Henry’s shoulders. The rainbow, like his reputation stayed with him as he travelled the country. Henry was making his way to work on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, and when he arrived, work had stopped because there was a mountain in the way. Henry pitted himself against a steam engine, and the rest of the story is history. The detailed watercolors by Pinkney bring an added humanity to this legendary tall-tale character and bring even more character to the story. The muted tones in the illustrations emphasize the earthiness of John Henry’s character, and the color added by Henry’s bandana and the rainbow that becomes his companion show a hopefulness and optimism that emphasize the text—“Dying ain’t important. Everybody does that. What matters is how well you do your living”.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

Although the characters in Lester’s retelling are portrayed as African American, only a touch of dialect in the text itself portrays them as such. The illustrations add depth and humanity to a character of lore, and the mention of animals visiting his home on the day of his birth add extra life to the story, which will encourage readers to delve more deeply into this American legend. Although the story is well-written, occasionally the personification of characters appears out of place and interrupts the flow of the story. An example of this is when John Henry wakes the sun up, saying: “Get up from there!” so that he can get to work for the day. The element of a Jacuzzi seems a out of place with the illustrations and setting of the story. The muted colors of the illustrations, although fitting with the text of the story, make details difficult to distinguish. The onomatopoeia of the ringing sledgehammer is highlighted by the rhythmic text which calls to mind the music that has been a part of the African American culture since the 1800s. The similes throughout the story (“the wind was out of breath trying to keep up with him”) include more personification that is reminiscent of other traditional literature and tall tales. Although John Henry wins his legendary contest with the steam drill, ending his life, the hope portrayed in the last lines of the story portray the hope and respect that come from a life well-lived.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Booklist. 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.

School Library Journal. 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.

CONNECTIONS

John Henry can be used in conjunction with a tall tale unit or other traditional literature unit. As this is only one of several versions of the story, it can be compared with other versions and illustrations can be used to retell the story.

Look for these other books about John Henry and other tall tale characters:

Keats, Ezra Jack. John Henry: an American legend. ISBN 9780394890524

Nelson, Scott Reynolds. Ain’t nothing but a man: my quest to find the real John Henry. ISBN 9781426300004

Krensky, Stephen. John Henry. ISBN 9780822564775

Kellogg, Steven. Mike Fink. ISBN 9780688135775

Osborne, Mary Pope. American tall tales. ISBN 9780679800897