Black Folktales

by Julius Lester

Book Overview

Twelve remarkable folktales, culled from the black experience in Africa and America, are freshly retold in the thoroughly original voice of Julius Lester. Arranged by topic -- Origins, Love, Heroes, and People -- the tales combine universal themes and uncanny wisdom. Though some of these stories have been around for centuries and many were passed down by slaves, Julius Lester's urban expressiveness and Tom Feeling's spirited illustrations give them...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802132421
• ISBN13: 9780802132420
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Grove Press
• Length: 110 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

black folktales

The book I am reviewing is called Black Folktales, it is by Julius Lester and illustrated by Tom Feelings. This book falls under the category folktales and fairytales. Before I tell you more about the book let me say that the illustrations were amazing. Anyways, the book consisted of short stories about blacks in the south. There were stories about blacks on plantations and about god and how he created the world. Most of the stories were very good and interesting and most of them I enjoyed reading although there were a few mediocre stories mixed in too. The writers writing style I thought was very good. It definitely kept me entertained through out the whole book. There were some very funny stories in the book. there was one about a black man that was feared through out the land, and was supposed to die a couple of times but he kept escaping death, until St. Peter told god that this black man was supposed to have died thirty years ago. God immediately called the grim reaper who started complaining cause he hadn't gotten more the five minutes of sleep in the last two days. He started telling god that he needed some assistants, or else. Anyways I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Wonderful Tales!

This book is great for the imgination! I have read this several times and have never been bored. The characters are amazing and the stories are wonderful.