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Preaching to the Chickens

The Story of Young John Lewis

Audiobook
100 of 100 copies available
100 of 100 copies available
Critically acclaimed author Jabari Asim and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator E. B. Lewis team up to give readers a fascinating glimpse into the boyhood of Civil Rights leader John Lewis. Even as a very young boy, John Lewis knew he wanted to be a preacher when he grew up. He wanted to be the kind of leader who could use his passionate speeches to stir hearts to change, minds to think, and bodies to take action. But why wait to grow up? At five years old, when he became the official caretaker of the sixty chickens on his family's farm, he realized he had a wonderful audience to practice on-and they became this brave Civil Rights activist's first flock, content under his watchful care and riveted by the power of his words.
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    • AudioFile Magazine
      In this children's audiobook, narrator Kevin R. Free captures the essence of Congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis's childhood on a farm in southern Alabama. Listeners will hear the story of a young Lewis, one of the original Freedom Riders, as he preaches to his charges, the chickens, as part of his daily ritual of feeding and watering them. Free's performance is quite lyrical as he breaks out singing "Amazing Grace." He also evokes empathy from listeners as Lewis hopes that God will forgive his overly enthusiastic baptizing of his chicken named Li'l Pullet. This story is meant to be enjoyed with the accompanying picture book but can also be heard on its own. E.E.S. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from August 15, 2016
      Asim (Fifty Cents and a Dream) draws on an anecdote from congressman John Lewis’s 1998 memoir, Walking with the Wind, as he recounts the story of the future civil rights activist tending to a flock of chickens, both physically and—in a way—spiritually. On the Alabama farm of his childhood, Lewis was in charge of the chickens; inspired by church ministers, Lewis would preach to the birds, which “swayed to the rhythm of his voice.” E.B. Lewis (The First Step) 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 to speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves.” Ages 5–8. Author’s agent: Joy Harris, Joy Harris Literary.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:670
  • Text Difficulty:3

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