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by Patricia Smith (Author), Aaron Boyd (Illustrator)
Saturdays are special for Janna. That's when she and Granddaddy spend the whole day together.
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.
Author Biography
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 has 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.
