1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Nolen, Jerdine. 2000. BIG JABE. Ill. by Kadir Nelson. New York, NY: Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Books. ISBN 0688136621
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Nolen, Jerdine. 2000. BIG JABE. Ill. by Kadir Nelson. New York, NY: Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Books. ISBN 0688136621
2. PLOT SUMMARY
A tale of a larger-than-life slave, Jabe, who helps other slaves on the Plenty Plantation. Jabe does not have an ordinary man’s strength or heart. When slaves disappear from the plantation some begin to wonder if Jabe is responsible.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
BIG JABE is an original tall tale about a slave with a heart of gold and the strength of Paul Bunyan or John Henry. Jabe arrives in dramatic fashion in a wicker basket floating down the river. This Moses-like entrance quickly introduces the reader to the overall tone of the book. As Jabe gets older, his strength increases and his admirers believe he is responsible for helping slaves disappear. Besides the Moses reference, examples of Abraham Lincoln and Harriet Tubman also come to mind with this character. Jabe’s uplifting attitude lifted the spirits of slaves and inspires readers to hope for goodness in people.
Nelson’s watercolor-and-gouache illustrations are vivid and dramatic. When the overseer’s body fills the doorway, the mood of the story grows somber. As Jabe hunches over the trees, the reader gets an idea of his hulking size. The proportions between animal and man are unusual. For example, the corn rises higher than the horses and heads are not in proportion to the rest of the body. This technique allows the reader to focus on Jabe and makes all the other scenery fade into the background.
BIG JABE is an original tall tale about a slave with a heart of gold and the strength of Paul Bunyan or John Henry. Jabe arrives in dramatic fashion in a wicker basket floating down the river. This Moses-like entrance quickly introduces the reader to the overall tone of the book. As Jabe gets older, his strength increases and his admirers believe he is responsible for helping slaves disappear. Besides the Moses reference, examples of Abraham Lincoln and Harriet Tubman also come to mind with this character. Jabe’s uplifting attitude lifted the spirits of slaves and inspires readers to hope for goodness in people.
Nelson’s watercolor-and-gouache illustrations are vivid and dramatic. When the overseer’s body fills the doorway, the mood of the story grows somber. As Jabe hunches over the trees, the reader gets an idea of his hulking size. The proportions between animal and man are unusual. For example, the corn rises higher than the horses and heads are not in proportion to the rest of the body. This technique allows the reader to focus on Jabe and makes all the other scenery fade into the background.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
HORN BOOK: “Part magical savior, part tall-tale hero, Big Jabe personifies the triumph of African Americans who (miraculously it must sometimes have seemed) escaped from slavery. Kadir Nelson's gouache-and- watercolor illustrations are lovely: full-bleed spreads pull readers into a lush summer when every plant and creature is vibrant with health. Yet he also effectively conveys the rigorous life of the slaves via their leanness, their clothing, and even in the way he depicts a meal when, thanks to Jabe, there is enough fish for all: dark earth tones predominate in the firelit scene while heaps of well-cleaned fish bones bespeak the hunger that usually prevailed.”
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “The author uses traditional folklore motifs to good effect in creating this larger-than-life hero. Nelson's watercolor-and-gouache paintings bring the characters fully to life and provide a realistic and historically accurate setting for the fantastic events. The illustrations, particularly the cover of Jabe striding tall above the trees and the scenes around the plantation, highlight the fantasy even as they make the story real.”
HORN BOOK: “Part magical savior, part tall-tale hero, Big Jabe personifies the triumph of African Americans who (miraculously it must sometimes have seemed) escaped from slavery. Kadir Nelson's gouache-and- watercolor illustrations are lovely: full-bleed spreads pull readers into a lush summer when every plant and creature is vibrant with health. Yet he also effectively conveys the rigorous life of the slaves via their leanness, their clothing, and even in the way he depicts a meal when, thanks to Jabe, there is enough fish for all: dark earth tones predominate in the firelit scene while heaps of well-cleaned fish bones bespeak the hunger that usually prevailed.”
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “The author uses traditional folklore motifs to good effect in creating this larger-than-life hero. Nelson's watercolor-and-gouache paintings bring the characters fully to life and provide a realistic and historically accurate setting for the fantastic events. The illustrations, particularly the cover of Jabe striding tall above the trees and the scenes around the plantation, highlight the fantasy even as they make the story real.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*Discuss the concept of inference. Why would Jabe’s actions anger the overseer, Mr. Sorenson?
*Discuss the concept of symbolism. Is there more meaning behind the pear tree or the fact that Jabe arrived in river basket?
*Discuss why slaves would tell tall tales and stories like this. Would this story provide hope to slaves?
*Discuss the concept of inference. Why would Jabe’s actions anger the overseer, Mr. Sorenson?
*Discuss the concept of symbolism. Is there more meaning behind the pear tree or the fact that Jabe arrived in river basket?
*Discuss why slaves would tell tall tales and stories like this. Would this story provide hope to slaves?
*Compare story with other books written by Nolen and illustrated by Nelson. Use THUNDER ROSE to discuss similarities and differences between the main characters in these tall tales.
No comments:
Post a Comment