The Old African

by Julius Lester, Jerry Pinkney (Illustrator)

No one on the plantation had ever heard the Old African’s voice, yet he had spoken to all of them in their minds. For the Old African had the power to see the color of a person’s soul and read his thoughts as if they were words on a page. Now it was time to act—time to lead his fellow slaves to the Water-That-Stretched-Forever, and from there back to Africa. Back to their home. Based on legend and infused with magical realism, this haunting tale is beautiful in both its language and its images. Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney have found a new, extraordinary way to express the horrors of slavery and the hope and strength that managed to overcome its grip.

Genres: Picture Books, Historical Fiction, African American, Africa, Young Adult, Childrens

80 pages, Hardcover

First published September 8, 2005

About the author

Julius Lester was an American writer of books for children and adults. He was an academic who taught for 32 years (1971–2003) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He was also a photographer, as well as a musician who recorded two albums of folk music and original songs.

Reviews

[Barb H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had earlier discussed the author, Julius Lester, in my review of To Be a Slave . It was a more factual book, which I had thought equally painful, but more suited to adults or young adults. Both offerings were assignments for a course I am taking.
This book relates the inhumane existence from capture in Africa, to the trans oceanic voyage and beyond in captivity. Much of the treatment of these innocent human beings was not a surprise to me, but Lester had captivated me in his telling. An impressive addition to this were the vivid artistic renderings on each page throughout by artist Jerry Pinkney.

Lester is no longer with us, but viewing his life accomplishments and his expertise in writing is impressive.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Julius Lester and illustrator Jerry Pinkney team together again to tell a beautifully told magical realism tale for mature youth that is based on fact. The re-imaged story is based off the 1803 slave revolt in Georgia and mass suicide that occurred when newly captured Igbo people took over the ship that was transporting them to the various plantations that had bought them after they survived the Middle Passage. (More info can be found about it in this Wiki article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igbo_La...)

As the article states "The event's moral value as a story of resistance towards slavery has symbolic importance in African American folklore and literary history" and is captivatingly told by the talented author and illustrator. The leader of the slaves in this story is The Old African, who as a young man was kidnapped from his home along with his wife Ola. The Middle Passage is described in heartbreaking detail and does not shy away from the horrors of the conditions that were endured and the reality that women were sexually abused. We witness Ola committing suicide to avoid rape, and Jaja's mentor Obasi being beaten to death.

Many years go by after he is sold into slavery, and Jaja is now an elderly man who is mute but has magical powers that he uses to help ease suffering on the plantation on which he lives. When an escaped slave is brought back and savagely whipped, he steps in to help, but knows his help has earned him a death sentence. He then leads a group of slaves to the ocean and leads them home to Africa. That the escaped slaves have a triumphant conclusion is symbolic for staying strong in the face of adversary and resisting oppression. I highly recommend this complex and thought provoking book, and would suggest it to readers who are ready to think critically about this book's message.

[James Govednik · Rating 4 out of 5]

No one on the plantation had ever heard the Old African's voice, yet he had spoken to all of them in their minds. For the Old African had the power to see the color of a person's soul and read his thoughts as if they were words on a page. Now it was time to act—time to lead his fellow slaves to the Water-That-Stretched-Forever, and from there back to Africa. Back to their home.
Based on legend and infused with magical realism, this haunting tale is beautiful in both its language and its images. Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney have found a new, extraordinary way to express the horrors of slavery and the hope and strength that managed to overcome its grip.
(from goodreads)
Many legends and biblical stories came to mind as I read this tale by Julius Lester. After just finishing "Day of Tears" by the same author, I was in the historical fiction mode, and ended up being completely swept up in the mystical qualities of the main character. The story has some elements of fantasy as well as realism. Some of the epsiodes of cruelty and violence would not be appropriate for younger readers. For instance, a vivid description of the retching imprisonment in the hold of a slave ship, as viewed through the eyes of characters (who hadn't even previously known of the existence of the ocean). The mixture of wonder and awe with terror, from the perspective of the kidnapped africans, makes a strong impression.

Throughout, themes of peace and tranquility present themselves through the main character, who is initially only known as "The Old African." Eventually, we trace his life story, from his days as a boy, discovering his talents for spiritual leadership, to finding a way to lead his "family" ( not sure what word is the best here) to freedom.

For those in a mindset like I was, historical fiction, the ending definitely has a twist--that of legend and symbolism. I was left thinking about the different kinds of strength The Old African embodied as he supported those around him.

The author, assisted by illustrator Jerry Pinkney, have created a memorable book that will leave lasting impressions on the reader. Their intent was to create a work in which the illustrations and text are interdependent, and in this the book does not disappoint. The illustrations are amazing, and each one on its own could be used to prompt students to ask, "what's the story here?"

Great read, bittersweet, but memorable.

[Lauran Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't even explain how compelling this book is. I knew it was going to have a powerful story, but I didn't expect that much in a children's book. I think it was incredible! The illustrations were also incredible. Each one was its own piece of valuable artwork. This would definitely be a book for an older child, but I recommend it over and over again.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hesitate to call this a children’s book. Although written in the easy language for children, it touches on many of the harsh aspects of the African-American slavery, horrific cruelty that most parents wouldn’t want their children to know. The book outlines the capture and kidnapping of the Ybo people by other Africans who trade them for beads. There is a whipping, the implication of rape, suicide, the packing of human beings cheek by jowl in cramped quarters until they expel bodily wastes from the stench as well as the cruelty of white slave owners who perversely think of themselves as good men. It’s everything that was left out of the history books in grade school.

But the story provides a beacon of hope, the promise of freedom and the return to one’s roots. Above all, it is about the mythical power and dignity of the Old African, the one member of the tribe who remembers his homeland long after the other slaves forgot. He possesses the mystical ability to drain away pain, read minds, communicate without words and compel obedience. Like the book The People Could Fly, this is ultimately a tale of joy, love and strength given into the hands of the powerless.

The story is vividly brought to life by the illustrations of Jerry Pinkney, one of my favorite illustrators. They convey mood, action, character and give a vivid sense of place and history. They are soft edged but don’t shy away from the brutality of the slave’s condition. This is a book to cherish and ponder. But I’m still not certain it’s for children.

[Maeve · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Old African came to Georgia from Africa as a slave, but since he arrived in America he has not said a word and instead speaks to those around him through his powers (taking away pain, healing people, transforming into animals). When a young boy tries to escape, but is brought back, he tells the Old African about the ocean that he saw. The Old African knows that he can take his people back to their home. He must use all of his powers to safely take them from their slave master's land to the ocean, along the bottom, and finally to Africa.

Beautifully illustrated. It is a bit more graphic, so definitely give to mature, older readers.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely STUNNING illustrations! Almost made me want to buy another copy just to frame them. The Old African is captured and transported on a slave ship to an unknown destination. (most probably the southern US or the Caribbean islands) The Old African does not speak but he has a gift to put his thoughts into others' minds. He can also read what they are thinking. This helps him to survive. You can read this in an hour...however...stop and REALLY look at the illustrations. The book is nothing without them!

[Gina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I see many positive reviews from adults, which makes sense, but if this appears to be a picture book meant for kids, think again.

Julius Lester has not been my favorite Jerry Pinkney collaborator due to a tendency to be overly wordy. That is more true than usual here, but also there is some very violent and disturbing content here, which is also true, but then mixing it up with magical realism to a miraculous ending... it's a lot going on. Older readers who are past the picture books stage might find it valuable.

[Kathy Dobronyi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through his powers, the old African provides a beacon of hope, the promise of freedom and the return to one’s roots. It tells the story about the mythical power and dignity of the Old African, the one member of the tribe who remembers his homeland long after it is forgotten by other slaves. He possesses the mystical ability to drain away pain, read minds, communicate without words, and encourage trust.

[Marisa Gettas · Rating 5 out of 5]

6/5 stars for the art!!!
I found this through BookishRealm’s Youtube channel. Ashley was talking about illustrator JERRY PINKNEY and as I’d never seen his work, I got 5 books he illustrated from my library. For me, this was the gem of those five, but all were worth reading and looking at.
For me, the art in this book is astounding!!

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wow story. It gives a picture of how life happened for the slaves coming to the America's. It also includes some likely events that happened to slaves. The ending is a joy.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The artwork is extraordinary!

I read a shortened version of this myth in a different book last year. It was nice to get the entire story. Such a beautiful tale!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully rendered heartbreak.

[Diana Gagliardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story, well-told with great illustrations.

It's not the most pleasant of stories, but the ending is much better than many!

Enjoy!

[Marci · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful picture book that is not for young children. Its story is stark and vivid in its depiction of slavery, with all its horrors. Nonetheless, this is a very worthy read. I was not as impressed with Jerry Pinkney's illustrations as I have been in the past. I'm not sure why. I'm including the book review from Booklist. It mirrors my own thoughts.

Booklist

Gr. 4-7. From his 1968 Newbery Honor Book, To Be a Slave (1968), to Day of Tears (2005), Lester has brought the African American slavery experience to young readers. 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. Lester begins with the horror of the plantation, where the workers must watch the white master whip a young runaway. The Old African, the slave Jaja, never speaks, but he has the spiritual power to enter the minds of other people, and he can take away the runaway's pain. He remembers the terrifying attacks on his Ibo people in Africa, the white traders, and the journey across the ocean, when he saw his wife stripped naked and then leap overboard. Now Jaja leads the plantations slaves back to the ocean, where they walk into the water to freedom and reunion. The stirring illustrations, glowing with color and swirling with action, beautifully depict the dramatic escape fantasy (which is based on legend), but they never deny the horror; they show the public whipping and the crowded ship's hold, so like the bunks in Auschwitz. The triumph over oppression is in the unforgettable words and pictures of individual people--and the connections between them.

[Kiya]

The Old African by Julius Lester was a Noble Books for Global Society Award winner for the year 2006. This book sums up the history of pain and hardships African Americans slaves faced during the time of slavery. The Old African was captured and forced to become a slave but what nobody knew was he had a special power that allowed him to escape with the other slaves and lead them to freedom everyone knew of him through his kind gestures but never through his words because he never spoke. This story is special because as they traveled through the ocean the people who died because of slavery suddenly came to life and joined their loved onesThis story was such a powerful book for students to understand what African American slaves went through with a friendly spin of magical capabilities to get younger readers engaged. One of the biggest strengths of this book is it gives children a sense of understanding of slavery and all the horrible things African American endured during that time period it is important for young readers to learn about the history of all ethnic groups so history doesn’t repeat itself. What is a good way for history not to repeat itself? A good way is to educate students by creating stories, novels and autobiographies of why, where and how these things happened. This book also did a good job with meeting the NBGS criteria it had appealing format because although things were so awful the magic made it kid friendly it included richness of detail concerning African Americans because it helped children understand how unfairly they were treated.

[Jessica Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Old African by Julius Lester was a winner of this award in 2006 (2006). This story tells us of what the African American people faced as slaves throughout entire lifetimes. We learn The Old African’s story of when he was captured and taken into slavery and what his life had consisted of since then, and the Old African has powers that allow him to escape with the other slaves under the control of the evil Mr. Riley, and not only that but on their travels home through the ocean, all those who had died due to slavery were brought back to life and reunited with their loved ones to live a life of peace and full of love. This story does well to be in my database because it shows the good heart of those who were taken into slavery and forced to live for others. It also portrays the evil of the slave owners and how they had no respect for black lives. This book does well to be in my database because it tells of a very important topic that children need to be informed of in a way that kids will understand. It is a very moving story that stirs emotion and thought.

Lester, J. (2005). The Old African. New York, NY. New York: Dial Books.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Old African is a beautifully written, albeit difficult retelling of an old legend about an older African slave who has magical capabilities. The Old African is old enough that he has memories of the motherland he and the other slaves were stolen from. There is a very heart wrenching and difficult part where a young slave is being whipped in front of many of the other slaves, including The Old African, who is able to mysteriously and magically reach the young slave and comfort him, effectively alleviating his pain. Later the young slave recounts the images he saw when he was being whipped, which results in the Old African leading the other slaves on a magical journey under the sea in order to escape. This is a difficult but realistic read, not holding back any of the brutality and ugliness of slavery. It is also a beautiful story incorporating magical and spiritual elements. There is a lot of figurative language, which may be over many of the students head, but it is for a more mature audience and although it is an illustrated book, it is a fairly lengthy read.

[Christina Packard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a beautifully illustrated book. My library discarded this book, and I picked it up. I wish that at the beginning of the book the author told why he wrote his story. It was from a tale in Georgia that supposedly a group of slaves made it to the great water and then continued and walked on back to Africa. This tale even has a spot in Georgia where it happened. I knew nothing of this and just started reading and it was a tale of Africans being taken across the water and kept and treated badly like slaves were. The old African had magical powers of being able to talk to people without speaking and to fly as a bird. These parts of his "powers" lost me because of what was happening as we live today could not happen. A huge band of slaves cannot walk on the bottom of the ocean back to Africa, but in this story they did. When finished I then did read why the author wrote and then understood the magic powers. I really like the illustrations, and now that I know this is part of Georgia's stories, I did find it interesting to know about.

[Nyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Old African is such a crazy story, that it is appealing in a totally non-historical way. On one hand, it is a retelling of Moses, and on the other, it is a mysterious magical entity all its own. The words themselves aren’t particularly special, but the peculiarities of the old man draw in the reader all the same. The pictures themselves aren’t especially fantastic either. They are very unfinished images; though you can tell exactly what they are supposed to be. That makes it difficult to say why the book is so interesting. As a multicultural book, it crosses slavery in America with one white man. The encounters with the white master do seem realistic. Based on other accounts of how slaves were treated, the story becomes more real, more probable, than if they were well-treated slaves. It is definitely a book to bring up to children’s attentions. There are so many facets to the story, and to see a child analyze it would be quite interesting.

[Jackie Pino]

The Old African opens with an all too common scene in early America—a white plantation owner is whipping a slave boy. What the master does not know is that the slave known as the Old African is pulling the pain away from the boy. Eventually, the whipped boy reveals to the Old African that he had seen the ocean when he ran away. This sets in motion a series of events that frees all of the slaves from the plantation.
A mixture of historical fiction and fantasy, this book provides insight about what life was really like for slaves ripped from their lives in Africa and enslaved in America. The Old African becomes a fantastical character, having the ability to enter others minds, turn into an Owl, and walk through the ocean. A book addressing a heavy topic, this book at least leaves readers with a hopeful ending.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Old African by Julius Lester and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney is my favorite Julius Lester book. The legend is awesomely retold and built upon by Lester. Pinkney's illustrations visually and emotionally expand the text allowing us to be drawn in further, opening us to the pain and beauty of The Old African .

Age Range: 5 - 8 years
Grade Level: Preschool - 3
Lexile Measure: 920L

[Ms. Wayne]

From the Publisher

No one on the plantation had ever heard the Old African's voice, yet he had spoken to all of them in their minds. For the Old African had the power to see the color of a person's soul and read his thoughts as if they were words on a page. Now it was time to act -- time to lead his fellow slaves to the Water-That-Stretched-Forever, and from there back to Africa. Back to their home.

Based on legend and infused with magical realism, this haunting tale is beautiful in both its language and its images. Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney have found a new, extraordinary way to express the horrors of slavery and the hope and strength that managed to overcome its grip.

[Ariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the book does a good job of introducing readers to what slaves had to go through in history, I do not feel like this book would be a good choice for younger classrooms. Some of the younger students might have a hard time with the illustrations that depicts the violence (like the one on pg. 6 that shows the slave tied to a whipping pole). The language and text of this book is also geared towards more advanced readers. Older readers would be able to understand get sucked into the storyline easily, but this book would be too much for k-2 grade readers. Overall, I am not a huge fan of this book. I feel it is a bit much for younger students.

[Taya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that this book was beautifully done, both in regards to the language and the illustrations. My only concern was whether or not I would feel comfortable having elementary students read this. In terms of content, it brings up some very harsh, and very real truths about slavery that I am not sure younger students would be ready to handle. I think for a middle school classroom this may be more appropriate. This fact is probably also what makes this book so powerful, I am actually surprised that it has not won any awards, though both the author and illustrator have both won numerous.

[Alexis Collins · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a captivating read. IT took the vision of one African man and engaged him within his surroundings. The people of plantation knew of him through his actions and gestures, but never through his words. Until one day he had to lead them to freedom. The pictures tell, for me, almost more of story. You can see the caution and anguish that came forth on the salves facial gestures as they were trying to get to freedom. Old Man Riley was horrid and I would never want to meet him. I can also tell the author’s passion for Black Pride through his writing.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic, yet very necessary story outlines the painful immigration of the African slaves. I don't think I have ever encountered a story that rings true with such descriptive authenticity and at the same time mixed with the magic of cultural folklore. Interesting blend! Due to its' graphic nature, I would recommend it to high school age students and older. This book has made a significant contribution to the body of African-American literature.

[Erin Sterling · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful but sorrowful and intense book about slavery and the myth/tale of one man who remembers the village in Africa and the trip on the slave ship and has the ability to remove the pain of others. Hard for me to figure out the age-appropriateness--there are gorgeous full-size illustrations that gives the feel of a picture book but the writing is intense and disturbing because of the horrible-ness of the time. Really worthwhile book.

[Karen Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting version of the Ibo legend about enslaved Africans' travel across the ocean to return home. I liked some elements of the story a great deal, including the representation of the protagonist's sensitivity to nature. This and the Old African's cultural integrity distinguishes him other slaves, who are going through the motions to varying extents. The only white character, Master Riley, is cowardly and masks his insecurities with cruelty toward others.

[Sarah]

Will try this one again. It's serious, harsh, and also beautiful. I'd like to see it through. Maybe in a couple months, or maybe years we'll give it another go. It looks deceptively like a children's book, but despite all the illustrations, it is not, in fact, for children unless one is quite prepared to explain things like rape and racial slurs. I generally am, but this one is right at the margin of what I can manage.