Fact Friday: Let's Talk about Race by Julius Lester

The world of children's literature lost a giant yesterday. This Fact Friday Feature honors author Julius Lester. He wrote over 40 books, 31 for children. His non-fiction book, To Be a Slave won a Newbery Honor in 1968. Jerry Pinkney won a Caldecott Honor for the illustrations in Lester's book, John Henry (a book I cannot read without tearing up). He won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, a Coretta Scott King Award and was a National Book Award Finalist. He was a musician who wrote folk songs as well as a college professor. In 2005, he wrote a picture book called Let's Talk about Race, illustrated by Karen Barbour. In this simple, yet stunning book, he engages the reader in a conversation starter about race that is natural and thoughtful.

Let's Talk about Race by Julius Lester. Illustrated by Karen Barbour. unpgd. HarperCollins Publisher, January, 2005. 9780060285982. (own)