WHEN BRER RABBIT SPOKE AGAIN

Lester, Julius (1939–2018)

The Tales of Uncle Remus: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit [Inscribed by Jerry Pinkney with an Original Drawing]

New York: Dial Books, 1987. Second Printing, Hardcover with Dust Jacket.

A MODERN RETELLING THAT RETURNED A CLASSIC TO NEW GENERATIONS.
Julius Lester's celebrated retelling of the Brer Rabbit stories reintroduces one of America's enduring folk traditions through language that honors the stories' African American roots while making them accessible to contemporary readers.

Distinguished by Jerry Pinkney's luminous watercolor illustrations, this edition became one of the most admired modern interpretations of the Uncle Remus tradition.

This copy is warmly inscribed by Jerry Pinkney with an original pen-and-ink drawing of Brer Rabbit on the title page.

A STORYTELLING TRADITION RENEWED.
Rather than reproducing Joel Chandler Harris's nineteenth-century text, Lester reshaped the tales through the voice of an accomplished folklorist and cultural historian. Brer Rabbit remains the irrepressible trickster whose wit repeatedly triumphs over strength, preserving stories that originated within the oral traditions of enslaved African Americans and have remained central to American folklore.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Original illustrated boards with matching illustrated dust jacket. Quarto; 9¼ inches tall; 151 pages. Profusely illustrated throughout in full color and black-and-white by Jerry Pinkney. Title page inscribed by the illustrator with an original drawing of Brer Rabbit. Second Printing.

ILLUSTRATOR'S ORIGINAL DRAWING: Signed and inscribed by Jerry Pinkney with an original ink drawing of Brer Rabbit executed on the title page. The addition of original artwork transforms this from a signed copy into a unique copy-specific example of the illustrator's work.

CONDITION: Fine in a Fine dust jacket. An exceptionally well-preserved copy. Bindings are tight and square. Text is clean. No flaws or blemishes beyond minimal evidence of careful handling. Dust jacket is bright and fresh with no notable wear. A handsome, gift-quality example enhanced by the illustrator's original artwork.

LITERARY SIGNIFICANCE — A STORYTELLING TRADITION RENEWED.
Julius Lester's retelling marked an important moment in the continuing interpretation of African American folklore. Rather than simply reproducing Joel Chandler Harris's dialect renderings, Lester restored the stories to a narrative voice rooted in the oral traditions from which they emerged. His adaptation invited new generations of readers to appreciate Brer Rabbit not merely as a literary character but as one of the enduring trickster figures of world folklore.

AWARD-WINNING INTERPRETATION.
This volume received the Coretta Scott King Award and was named a Newbery Honor Book, recognition of both Lester's storytelling and the book's contribution to children's literature. Together with Jerry Pinkney's illustrations, it remains one of the most celebrated modern editions of the Brer Rabbit stories.

JERRY PINKNEY'S LEGACY.
Jerry Pinkney (1939–2021) stands among the most important American illustrators of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. During a career spanning more than five decades, he illustrated over one hundred books, earning the Caldecott Medal, five Caldecott Honor citations, five Coretta Scott King Illustrator Awards, five Coretta Scott King Honors, and numerous other distinctions. His luminous watercolor paintings combined extraordinary technical skill with warmth, movement, and emotional depth, helping redefine the illustrated picture book. 

AWARDS
+++ Newbery Honor Book (1988)
+++ Coretta Scott King Award (Author, 1988)

SUBJECTS: Julius Lester; Jerry Pinkney; Brer Rabbit; Uncle Remus; African American Folklore; Trickster Tales; Signed Books; Original Drawings; Coretta Scott King Award; Newbery Honor, Children's Literature; American Folklore; African American Literature; Illustrated Books.

Item #22231

Price: $85.00