John Henry by Julius Lester

This is the telling of the folk story legend, John Henry.  Written with metaphors and similes galore, this folk legend embodies the spirit of an American legend.  Although it is obvious, that this story is legend, with John Henry performing feats that no man is capable of, the metaphorical correlations between John Henry and the "can do" spirit that lies in all people, is inspiring.  John Henry, although a seemingly ordinary man, defies expectations and professes how nothing can stop him as long as he believes he can do it.  He proves himself time and time again. From running faster than the wind, digging through mountains with his hammers, working faster and harder than steam-engined drills, John Henry was unstoppable.  In the end, it was his undoing, because he died after working so hard his heart just gave out.  However, the legend he created and left behind, inspired all those around him and his death created as much positive energy as did his life.


While reading this story, I was reminiscent of folktales such as Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, and Babe, the Blue Ox.  When teaching 4th grade reading classes, I taught an entire unit on folktales and I loved all the legendary tales that spoke of the American spirit.  This take on John Henry was a wonderful and poetic way of illustrating the message of "anything is possible"!

Other books written by Julius Lester include various books on  folktales, such as The Knee-High Man and Other Tales and The Tales of Uncle Remus:  The Adventures of Brer Rabbit.  Fiction books that Julius Lester has written include Long Journey Home, This Strange New Feeling, and Time's Memory.  The majority of the books that Julius Lester has written deal with slavery and African American history.