Title: Uncle Jed’s Babershop
Author: Margaree King Mitchell
Illustrator: James Ransome
Publisher: Alladin Paperbacks
Ages: 9-11
Synopsis:
Everyone has a favorite relative. For Sarah Jean, it’s her Uncle Jed. Every Wednesday night he comes over to her house to give her daddy a haircut and a shave.
What makes Uncle Jed special is his dream of opening his own barbershop one day with shiny sinks, real barber chairs, and outside, a big, tall, red-and-white barber pole. Even when life’s hardships and unexpected family emergencies get in the way, Uncle Jed never loses sight of his dream.
Why you should read it:
Sometimes it takes an oldie, but a goodie to remind us of what’s important in life and that’s our dreams. During a time when the spotlight is on diverse books, it’s nice to discover a strong story spotlighting the love and devotion of an African American family during a time of social unrest.
Illustrator James Ransome creates realistic portraits of a family struggling through the times right before the Great Depression and author Margaree King Mitchell touches our hearts with a poignant story of one man’s dream fulfilled almost before it was too late.
Like-o-meter Rating scale**: 5 out of 5…grab it!
**Rating scale**
5 out of 5…grab it!
4 out of 5…think about it.
3 out of 5…take or leave it.
2 out of 5…maybe not for you.
1 out of 5…forget about it!