Uncle Jed's Barber Shop

Sarah Jean's Uncle Jed was the only black barber in the county. He had a kind heart and a warm smile. And he had a dream.

Living in the segregated South of the 1920's, where most people were sharecroppers. Uncle Jed had to travel all over the county to cut his customers' hair. He lived for the day when he could open his very own barbershop. But it was a long time, and many setbacks, from five-year-old Sarah Jean's emergency operation to the bank failures of the Great Depression, before the joyful day when Uncle Jed opened his shiny new shop — and twirled a now grown-up Sarah Jean around in the barber chair.

With James Ransome's richly colored paintings brimming with life, this is a stirring story of dreams long deferred and finally realized.

Publishers Weekly

At age 79, Uncle Jed, after a lifetime of obstacles (including segregation and the Great Depression), finally realizes his dream of owning a barbershop. "Convivial descriptions of family life are enhanced by Ransome's spirited oil paintings," said PW. Ages 4-7. (Jan.)

Margaree King Mitchell was born and raised in Holly Springs, Mississippi and now lives in Little Rock, Arkansas with her husband, Kevin, and their eight-year-old son, Nelson. She has written stories and plays and is a member of the Little Rock School District Biracial Committee and a librarian at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church. This is her first children's book.

James E. Ransome's highly acclaimed illustrations for Let My People Go won the NAACP Image Award. His other award-winning titles include Coretta Scott King Honor Book Uncle Jed's Barbershop by Margaree King Mitchell, Deborah Hopkinson's Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt, and Satchel Paige, written by his wife, Lesa. Mr. Ransome teaches illustration at Pratt Institute and lives in upstate New York with his family. Visit James at his Web site: www.jamesransome.com.