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.
PATRICIA SMITH is an award—winning poet, journalist, playwright, and performer. A four—time 2 national individual champion of the popular "poetry slam," she appeared on the award—winning HBO series "Def Poetry Jam." Smith has written five poetry volumes for the adult market and in 2001, served as writer—in—residence at the Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Conference. In addition, she authored the critically acclaimed "Africans in America," the companion book to the groundbreaking PBS documentary. She is a Cave Canem faculty member, a professor of English at CUNY/College of Staten Island, and a faculty member of the Sierra Nevada MFA Program. Smith lives in Tarrytown, New York.
AARON BOYD has illustrated numerous picture books and works for the educational and children's magazine markets. His picture books have been recognized by the Children's Africana Book Award and International Literacy Association (ILA). He lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he was born.
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