The Old African by Julius Lester

The Old African by Julius Lester, Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, 2005, New York: Dial Books. (9780803725645)

Awards: A Children's Africana Book Award Winner
Author Website: http://www.members.authorsguild.net/juliuslester/
Illustrator Website: http://www.jerrypinkneystudio.com/
Media Used: graphite, gouache, pastel, and water color on paper

Annotation:

This book contains many symbolic elements, depicting the horrors of being a slave.  The story follows one man through his capture and abuse, all the way to his symbolic return home.

Personal Reaction:

Just a few pages into this book, I was appalled that this book was placed in the J-Step section of the library.  The J-Step section is intended for intermediate readers (2^nd-4^th grade).  Most of the books is this section consist of simple series such as The Magic Tree House and Junie B. Jones.  This book featured very graphic images of slaves being beaten, inhuman living conditions, used the word “hell” (which is not technically a “bad word,” but is not standardly accepted as being a word appropriate for books aimed at 2^nd-4^th grade children.  The end of the story is very open to interpretation, and children in this age group would have no idea what happened.  I had to read the last few pages a few times and then had to come to my own conclusion.  This book is definitely designed for an “older reader.”  Just because a book has pictures does not mean that it is for children.

Symbol: The "Old African" is a symbol for all aspects of slavery (as explained by the author at the end of the book)

Simile: (page 46) "But this morning the Old African's emotions crashed thorugh his body like the water that rose and fell with the never-ending roar.  Ocean."

Allusion: (page 76) The picture on pages 76-77 that accompanies the text on the surrounding pages, alludes to the slaves finally finding peace and returning home upon death.  The text on the surrounding pages talks about people coming up from the ocean in the old land, and that they are the people who died in slavery.

Curricular Connection: High School US History (Slavery)