PICTURE BOOKS BLOG #2: Big Jabe

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Nelson, Kadir. 2000. BIG JABE by Jerdine Nolen. First ed. New York: Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Books. ISBN 9780060540616

B. PLOT SUMMARY

This tall tale tells the story of a special little boy who was found in the river by a slave girl named Addy. The boy grows up to be a huge man with the strength of fifty. He works on the plantation and finds magical ways to free the slaves on Plenty Plantation farm.
C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Nolen’s writing uses dialogue to reveal the character of the people in the story. The speech is natural for the characters in the time and place they live. For example “Sho’ nuff strange.” Jubal agreed. “Bet they’s in Ohio by now!” He chuckled and slapped his knee. The way the dialogue is written you can almost hear Jubal saying his dialog and slapping his knee. The writer even uses the narrator as a character bringing life to the story as if the reader were hearing it from the grandmother themselves. Nolen also uses music in language to help appeal to the ear. For example when Jabe calls: “Fish, fish, where is you, fish? Jump to the wagon like Miss Addy wish!” The use of rhyme is pleasant to the ear and stays in the readers mind.

Kadir’s illustrations are done in painterly watercolor media in realism style. The illustrations bring action to the story as can be observed from the page where young Jabe yells to the fish. The fish appear to leap from the page as the watercolor white dots on the river show the light bouncing off of the river and the water splashing up into the air with the fish. The illustrations also bring action to the page where the twister blows in and when the rain storm comes. The illustration uses dark watercolors painted over each other to illustrate the ominous and bleak rain storm.

The book is an entertaining tall tale in a historical setting. The characters are brought to life through the narration and dialogue and the illustrations bring the action and excitement to the book.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS

POWELLS’ BOOKS: [Nelson's] finely hatched watercolor and gouache illustrations emphasize images of slave life; when he does depict Big Jabe's fantastic feats, his naturalistic style permits him to depict them with an apparent realism. Author and artist empower the audience to confront an unbearable history and come away with hope. (xSTARREDx Review, Publisher's Weekly, April 17, 2000)

POWELLS’ BOOKS: [Nelson's] finely hatched watercolor and gouache illustrations emphasize images of slave life; when he does depict Big Jabe's fantastic feats, his naturalistic style permits him to depict them with an apparent realism. Author and artist empower the audience to confront an unbearable history and come away with hope. (xSTARREDx Review, Publisher's Weekly, April 17, 2000)
E. CONNECTIONS

*This story could be used in a unit on the history of slavery as it emotional engages students to feelings of the slaves at that time.

Students could discuss their own definitions of freedom
Students could discuss the mood of the story and their feelings about the characters
Students could create their own children’s book that focuses on escaping to freedom.
"Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt" Interdisciplinary Unit By Cynthia Weeden
http://www.slaveryinamerica.org/amliterature/amlit_lp_clara_reading.htm

*Other books about slavery
Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt
Nettie’s Trip South by Ann Turner
The Invisible Princess by Faith Renggold
"Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt" Interdisciplinary Unit By Cynthia Weeden
http://www.slaveryinamerica.org/amliterature/amlit_lp_clara_reading.htm