Janna and the Kings

By Patricia Smith, Aaron Boyd

    Saturdays are special for Janna. That’s when she and Granddaddy spend the whole day together.

    Description

    Walking down the street with Granddaddy is like strolling through a kingdom with a king. He knows everyone and everyone knows him. Best of all, Granddaddy and Janna always head for her favorite place in the world – Terrell’s barbershop. There, Granddaddy and his friends are kings in barber chair thrones, and Janna is a princess, showered with love and attention.

    One day Granddaddy passes away, and Janna feels she has lost their wonderful kingdom forever. But with great courage and some unexpected help, Janna finds her way back to the happiness of those special Saturdays.

    Winner of LEE & LOW’s New Voices Award, Janna and the Kings is a moving story of love and rediscovery, and a celebration of the enduring bond between grandchild and grandparent.

    About the Creators

    Patricia Smith

    Patricia Smith was inspired to write her debut picture book Janna and the Kings by childhood memories of Saturdays spent at the barbershop with her father. Smith is an award-winning journalist, playwright, and performer, and a four-time individual champion of the National Poetry Slam. She also authored the companion book to the critically acclaimed PBS documentary "Africans in America." Smith lives in Tarrytown, New York.

    Aaron Boyd

    Aaron Boydhas illustrated numerous picture books, including Calling the Water Drum, Janna and the Kings, and Babu's Song for Lee & Low Books, as well as the chapter book The Story of Civil Rights Hero John Lewis. His work has been recognized by the Children's Africana Book Award and the International Literacy Association (ILA). He lives with his wife, son, and dog in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. You can visit him online at aaronboydart.blogspot.com.

    Reviews

    • "Filled with descriptive language, this book is a good choice to use in helping children to deal with death. The vibrant watercolor paintings successfully set the tone of this intergenerational story."

      - School Library Journal
    • In her picture-book debut, which won the publisher's New Voices Award, Smith tells a tender story about an African American family that effectively captures colloquial phrases and rhythms: 'Girl, stop pokin' so slow or you'll be late for school," and Boyd's bright watercolor spreads nicely interpret the characters' emotions and sense of community. Many children will long for their own Granddaddy, who knows that the 'princess treatment' includes listening and encouraging a girl to speak her mind.

      - Booklist
    • "Smith affectingly captures the strong bond between girl and grandfather, and the rituals that unite them. Boyd's (Babu's Song) richly toned watercolors similarly convey the affection shared by the two"

      - Publishers Weekly

    Paperback

  • ISBN 9781620142530
  • Publication Date Sep 01, 2003
  • Trim Size 10.3 × 8 in
  • Weight 0.375 lbs
  • Page Count 32
  • Hardcover

  • ISBN 9781584300885
  • Publication Date Sep 01, 2003
  • Trim Size N/A
  • Weight 0.875 lbs
  • Page Count 32
  • Interests

  • Audience Children
  • BISAC Category 1 JUV / Family / Multigenerational
  • BISAC Category 2 JUV / People & Places / United States / African American
  • BISAC Category 3 JUV / Social Themes / Death, Grief, Bereavement
  • Themes African / African American / Black, Childhood Experiences and Memories, Coping with Death, Families, Fiction, Friendship, Grandparents, Mentors, Optimism / Enthusiasm, Overcoming Obstacles, Realistic Fiction
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 6 - 9
  • Grade Range Grades 1 - 4
  • Guided Reading O
  • ATOS Book Level 4.5
  • DRA 34
  • Interest Level Grades 1 - 4
  • Lexile Code AD
  • Lexile Level 830
  • Reading Level 3
  • SRC 5.4
  • Bebop Reading Fluent
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