![]() First edition cover of The Old African | |
Author | Julius Lester |
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Illustrator | Jerry Pinkney |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Genre | Children's literature, picture book, US folklore |
Published | 2005 (Dial Press) |
Media type | Print (hardback) |
Pages | 79 |
ISBN | 9780803725645 |
OCLC | 53375920 |
The Old African is a 2005 book by Julius Lester and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. It is based on an incident at Igbo Landing and is about Jaja, a slave who leads a group of plantation slaves back to Africa by walking into the ocean.
The Horn Book Magazine, in a review of The Old African, wrote "This is an eloquent visual expression of the heroism of the suffering Africans who were ensnared onto those vicious ships."[1] and Booklist, in a starred review, wrote "Complemented by Pinkney's powerful illustrations, this picture book presents an unflinching account of the brutal history and of personal courage, told with a lyrical magic realism that draws on slave legend and the dream of freedom."[1]
The Old African has also been reviewed by Publishers Weekly,[2] School Library Journal,[3] Voice of Youth Advocates,[4] Kirkus Reviews,[5] Africa Access Review,[6] and The New York Times.[7]