From Organization / 国外机构评价: |
| Hest (the Baby Duck books) and Muth (Stone Soup) eloquently capture a friendship between two neighbors in the span of a morning wait for the school bus. First grader Harry and Mr. George Baker ("He's a hundred years old, no kidding," the boy claims), an African-American jazz drummer ("some people say he's famous"), share a special bond revealed through Harry's descriptive, first-person observations. "I really like his sweater,/ all hangy with three buttons./ It's chilly in the morning, and/ we both hug our knees./ And wait. We wait, watching/ leaves blow off trees." His youthful, sometimes lyrical narrative offers a peek into their understated relationship. "See his pants, all baggy, baggy, baggy?/ .../ There's candy in those pockets./ .../ George pops one in his mouth and I do too." But the biggest connection the two share is that they're both learning to read. Muth's soft watercolors maintain visual interest with varied perspectives of the same porch scene. In one, the pair sits similarly posed, arms crossed over knees, while another spread allows readers to peer out from the recesses of the porch, over their shoulders and identical book bags. With George's "crookedy fingers, going tappidy on his knees," Muth fluidly unveils a montage from a bygone era; a close-up of the man's large, dark hands fades downward into a nostalgic jazz club scene. When the bus finally arrives, both friends board, hand in hand. An upbeat, hopeful tale that speaks compellingly to intergenerational friendship. Ages 5-8. |
Foreign Customer Review / 国外客户评价: |
| I loved reading this book about the friendship between a young boy and his 100-year old neighbor, both of whom are learning to read. The prose is rhythmic, jazzy, and fun to read, and the watercolor illustrations display great texture, dimension, and emotion.
Although the situation is dramatic, the author and the illustrator take their time telling the story. There are no explosive moments or insights, just the little details of the everyday, set against a larger background of recent American history. Harry notices Mr. Baker's crumpled shoes and how they're always tied, the suspenders of his pants, and how the leaves float and swoop in the chilly morning air (the two sitting on porch, hugging their knees) as they wait for the schoolbus.
Mr. Baker's wife comes out, and in two subtle but evocative pages Hest and Muth suggest their relationship. Against a soft as memory background of a New Orleans style jazz band, we discover that George Baker "is a drummer man, and some people say he's famous." After the bus delivers them to school, Mr. Baker and the school children sit comfortably together with a common goal:
"'We can do it,' says George after school...
his lips sound out the letters.
Real slow. But his fingers fly across his knees. Like a big old drum."
Telling a simple but beautiful story with heart and dignity, this book can be appreciated by readers (and almost-readers) of just about any age. Great production values by publisher Candlewick: Thick paper, easily read letters in "Integrity" font, and big, easy-going pictures. Very highly recommended! |
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