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Mohrbooks Literary Agency
Sebastian Ritscher
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English
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PREACHING TO THE CHICKENS

Jabari Asim E.B. Lewis

The Story of Young John Lewis

Critically acclaimed author Jabari Asim and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator E. B. Lewis give readers a fascinating glimpse into the boyhood of Civil Rights leader John Lewis.
John wants to be a preacher when he grows up—a leader whose words stir hearts to change, minds to think, and bodies to take action. But why wait? When John is put in charge of the family farm’s flock of chickens, he discovers that they make a wonderful congregation! So he preaches to his flock, and they listen, content under his watchful care, riveted by the rhythm of his voice.

Celebrating ingenuity and dreaming big, this inspirational story, featuring Jabari Asim’s stirring prose and E. B. Lewis’s stunning, light-filled impressionistic watercolor paintings, includes an author’s note about John Lewis, who grew up to be a member of the Freedom Riders, chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and demonstrator on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. John Lewis is now a Georgia congressman, who is still an activist today, recently holding a sit-in on the House floor of the U.S. Capitol to try to force a vote on gun violence.

JABARI ASIM is the acclaimed author of What Obama Means . . . For Our Politics, Our Culture, Our Future as well as the author of the highly praised and controversial The N Word: Who Can Say It, Who Shouldn't, And Why. He is the editor-in-chief of Crisis magazine, a preeminent journal of politics, ideas and culture published by the NAACP and founded by W.E.B. Du Bois in 1910. He spent 11 years at the Washington Post, where he served as deputy editor of the book review section. For three years he also wrote a syndicated column on political and social issues for the Post. In April 2009, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation awarded him a fellowship in nonfiction, one of 180 fellowships awarded to artists, scientists and scholars in 2009 selected from a group of almost 3,000 applicants. He is a frequent public speaker and commentator who has appeared on "The Today Show," "The Colbert Report," "Hannity & Colmes," "The Tavis Smiley Show," "The Diane Rehm Show" and countless other programs. He has lectured at many of the nation's finest universities, including Seton Hall University, Northwestern University, Syracuse University and the University of Florida. He is an associate professor of creative writing at Emerson College.
His first work of fiction for adults, A Taste of Honey, was published in April 2010. The Road To Freedom, his first novel for young readers, was published in 2000. His other children's books include Whose Toes Are Those, Whose Knees Are These, Daddy Goes to Work, and The Road to Freedom. His children's books, Boy Of Mine and Girl Of Mine, were published in April 2010. Fifty Cents And A Dream, a new book for children, will be published in December. Jabari Asim lives in Massachusetts with his wife and children.
Available products
Book

Published 2016-10-11 by Nancy Paulsen Books

Book

Published 2016-10-11 by Nancy Paulsen Books

Comments

...this joy-inducing back story reveals an entertaining facet to the congressman's life that young readers will appreciate.

E.B. Lewis stages the scenes under the bright springtime light of Alabama mornings, giving a full sense of John Lewis’s world, from the dusty henhouse to the sturdy wooden pews of his family’s church, while always emphasizing the tender care he devoted to the chickens. It’s a moving portrait of the power of small actions and ‘learn[ing] to speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves.’

Bucolic-looking watercolor and gouache landscapes take modern readers back to a time when the entire Lewis family was busy on the farm from dawn to dusk. . . . A fine introduction to the life of an American icon.

Nerdy Book Club Award 2016 - Nonfiction Picture Book

[A] moving portrait the childhood of civil rights icon John Lewis.

In his afterword, Jabari Asim speaks of his deep regard for Rep. John Lewis, legendary Freedom Rider and civil-rights advocate… E.B. Lewis' realistic illustrations enhance the book's appeal.

The poignant, observant watercolors by the illustrator E. B. Lewis (no relation) are bathed in subtly changing light, making homespun scenes of country life seem celestial and exalted.

PREACHING TO THE CHICKENS is an E.B. WHITE READ-ALOUD PICTURE BOOK HONOR BOOK.

In this delightful picture book, young readers can learn about the famed civil rights activist and politician while also understanding that all heroes begin as children.

Popular children’s book site, All the Wonders included the book in a new roundup, “Thirty Five Picture Books for Young Activists.” Read more...

Luminous artwork and stirring text shed light on the childhood of one of America’s most respected civil rights leaders.

...a touching and inspirational tribute to the tireless Georgia activist-congressman.

Jabari Asim’s gentle story, accompanied by serene watercolor illustrations by Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator E. B. Lewis, shows how the young boy who would become the famed Civil Rights leader learned to speak for those who couldn’t speak forthemselves.

PREACHING TO THE CHICKENS by Jabari Asim tells the story of John Lewis' childhood on his family's farm in Alabama. Along with illustrations by E.B. Lewis, the story shows readers how Lewis learned to speak up for others.

Asim and Lewis’ words and images convey their respect and admiration for John Lewis, and readers will feel the same way. A tender narrative, paired with watercolors filled with light and movement, captures the heat of a Georgia day and the unmistakable bond John formed with his feathery followers. Young readers will appreciate the gentle messages about the importance of hard work, persistence, and patience that lay the foundations for John Lewis’ activism as an adult, which is detailed in a final author’s note.

A gentle treatment of Representative John Lewis’s childhood, readers can see that from a young age Lewis was compelled to make his voice heard.

E.B. Lewis’ watercolors beautifully capture the dusty world of this poor Southern farm, young Lewis’ ebullience in both the church pew and chicken yard, and the unusual way he discovers the voice and moral compass he’ll put to such astounding use as an adult….This small tale of a very big life is a winner.