John Henry, a story by Julius Lester

John Henry by Julius Lester

This is a story of an incredible man named John Henry. He, of course, is a larger than life folk hero who is portrayed as a very strong man, much in the tradition of Paul Bunyan. While Paul was a hero out west, John Henry was in the eastern United States building roads and a tunnel through the Allegheny Mountains. Was John Henry a real man? No one knows for sure, but his story has been sung about and retold by many.

The author Julius Lester tells the tale in such a way that you cheer John Henry's attempts and subsequent success. The language of the story is rich and I was humored by such phrases as, "the wind was out of breath trying to keep up with him" and "it was as hard as anger". Lester paints a picture with words of a larger than life man who is able to tackle seemingly impossible jobs. I loved the end when it states, "Dying ain't important. Everybody does that. What matters is how well you do your living." What a very important lesson to give to the reader!

Lester has written many other books such as: Day of Tears, To Be A Slave, The Autobiography of God: A Novel, Black Folktales, Dressed Like Freedom. Further collaboration with Pinkney can be found in these titles: Uncle Remus: The Complete Tales and Sam and the Tigers: a retelling of "Little Black Sambo". He has received the Coretta Scott King Award for Day of Tears and Honors for The Tales of Uncle Remus: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit and This Strange New Feeling. I have not read any other selections by Lester but would like to see if his other books are as enjoyable and rich in language as John Henry.