John Henry

John Henry

By: Julius Lester

Illustrations By: Jerry Pinkney

John Henry is a larger than life character who performs tasks that no other human would be expected to. This tall-tale themed story leads the reader through an unrealistic voyage of John Henry who grew to be a full sized man just minutes after being born. John Henry did things with inhumanly power and speed. John had the speed to outrun a horse and a steam drill, he was even an earlier riser than the sun. The sun was woken up by John, if need be, so he could get started on his work. Although John's life was filled with amazing accomplishments, he was best credited for outworking a steam drill through a mountain to help create a railroad. With his two hammers in tow, John couldn't be stopped. He tore through the mountain with all of his power and beat the steam drill. When John was finished, with a rainbow draped around his shoulders, he stood before the town's people who cheered him on, soon after John's heart burst and he died.

The story of John Henry is beautifully written and illustrated. The book offers an imaginative tale that tickles your imagination and brightens your smile. The world is always looking for a John Henry, someone who can do larger than life things. Just like in John's case, something more is always expected of those who can perform great tasks. Sometimes those people can remain held high and sometimes they fall. The most touching line in the book is, "Dying ain't important. Everyone does that. What matters is how well you do your living." (Lester and Pinkney, 1994). That statement brings the whole tale of John Henry into perspective and encourages the reader to take a look at him/herself and think about what he/she is doing for the world around him/her.

I enjoyed the story of John Henry. I think it offers the reader a chance to live in a world of fantasy where larger than life things can happen. I think we all look for things in life that are larger than us because of the joy and comfort it brings to us. In our society today, it is all about how quickly the task can be done. We are all trying to get to the next thing, sometimes forgetting how important it is to stop and "smell the roses." I felt overwhelmed by John's speed and work habits, I found myself thinking that he needed to take a break. Then I thought of my own life, I am always trying to do as much as I can without stopping to enjoy the work I am accomplishing. I don't know if the author intended to create those feelings within the reader, but either way I'm looking at life a little differently now.

Other books by Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney:

-Uncle Remus: The Complete Tales

-Albidaro and the Mischievous Dream

-Sam and the Tigers: A Retelling of 'Little Black Sambo'

-The Old African

-Black Cowboy, Wild Horses