Big Jabe

Young Addy, a house slave on Mr. Plenty's plantation, is fishing (unsuccessfully) for Mr. Plenty's supper one day when she notices a wicker basket bobbing in the water. Inside this basket is a smiling young boy who offers Addy "a plump round pear, as golden as the noonday sun," and then proceeds to amaze her with wondrous feats. First he calls up a wagon-full of fish from the river. Then he plants the seeds from the pear, which grow into a tree almost overnight. The boy himself, named Jabe, grows up quickly as well, and within months is working on the plantation, a giant man with the strength of fifty. Mysterious events take place around Jabe. Each time the plantation overseer punishes one of the slaves, a huge storm comes up in the night, and the following day the punished slave has vanished. Only Addy suspects the truth: that Jabe, with his mythic powers, is spiriting the slaves away to freedom.

This marvelous tall tale celebrates the dream of freedom and the strength of community among slaves in America. Jerdine Nolen's folksy style and light touch on a heavy subject give this original yarn a genuine feel for its setting and era, and the story matches perfectly with Kadir Nelson's stunning artwork in earthy tones and vivid textures. Both author and illustrator capture the harshness of a slave's daily life without resorting to explicit depictions of cruelty. The very talented Kadir Nelson also illustrated Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream, and Jerdine Nolen is the author of the award-winning Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm. (Ages 5 to 8) --Emilie Coulter