Readers young and old are sure to learn something new in this informative story. Asa’s father is the captain of his own canal boat, carrying coal from Pennsylvania to Jersey City. When his mule driver quits, the Captain decides that nine-year-old Asa is old enough to help him on the five-day run. Asa is used to putting the mules in the stable, but now that he’s responsible for keeping them from running the boat aground, they suddenly seem to be much larger. In remarkably simple language, and yet with great detail, Yezerski (Perfect Puppy, not reviewed, etc.) describes the fascinating journey of the coal. First is the clever way the railroad cars open at the bottom and drop the coal down chutes to the waiting boats, which are themselves designed to come apart into two sections for quicker loading. Then, the travel through the canal begins. As they come to a place where the canal level rises, Asa learns the workings of a lock. At a river crossing, the canal goes over an aqueduct—a bridge with water in it for the boat. When they reach a steep hill, Asa thinks the canal ends, but instead, learns about the ingenious inclined plane. Later that afternoon, though, they meet an obstacle there is no way around—a thunderstorm. As lightning strikes a tree, the mules spook and ground the boat. The Captain tumbles into the swift-moving canal, but Asa’s quick thinking saves the day. On shore, they survey the damaged boat, and Asa tells his Dad that he would like to be a captain someday, too. A foreword tells readers about the Morris Canal, on which the story was based, and the layout of the boats that ran on the canal. The watercolor illustrations complement the text perfectly; on the one hand educating readers about the many creative inventions that allow boats to travel across the country, while on the other, showing a father and son working together to support their family. Authentic 1800s details and fantastic fall foliage only add to the appeal. A sure hit with young budding engineers. (Picture book. 4-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2002
ISBN: 0-374-42502-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2002
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A powerful retrospective glimpse at a key event.
A vibrantly illustrated account of the Birmingham Children’s Crusade through the eyes of a young girl who volunteers to participate.
Morrison’s signature style depicts each black child throughout the book as a distinct individual; on the endpapers, children hold signs that collectively create a “Civil Rights and the Children’s Crusade” timeline, placing the events of the book in the context of the greater movement. When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. comes to speak at her church, a girl and her brother volunteer to march in their parents’ stead. The narrative succinctly explains why the Children’s Crusade was a necessary logistical move, one that children and parents made with careful consideration and despite fear. Lines of text (“Let the children march. / They will lead the way // The path may be long and / troubled, but I’m gonna walk on!”) are placed within the illustrations in bold swoops for emphasis. Morrison’s powerful use of perspective makes his beautiful oil paintings even more dynamic and conveys the intensity of the situations depicted, including the children’s being arrested, hosed, and jailed. The child crusaders, regardless of how badly they’re treated, never lose their dignity, which the art conveys flawlessly. While the children win the day, such details as the Confederate flag subtly connect the struggle to the current day.
A powerful retrospective glimpse at a key event. (timeline, afterword, artist’s statement, quote sources, bibliography) (Picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-544-70452-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 15, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
An inspiring story of young boy's compelling desire to read. As a boy of nine, Booker works in a salt mine from the dark of early morning to the gloom of night, hungry for a meal, but even hungrier to learn to read. Readers follow him on his quest in Malden, Virginia, where he finds inspiration in a man ``brown as me'' reading a newspaper on a street corner. An alphabet book helps, but Booker can't make the connection to words. Seeking out ``that brown face of hope'' once again, Booker gains a sense of the sounds represented by letters, and these become his deliverance. Bradby's fine first book is tautly written, with a poetic, spiritual quality in every line. The beautifully executed, luminous illustrations capture the atmosphere of an African-American community post-slavery: the drudgery of days consumed by back- breaking labor, the texture of private lives conducted by lantern- light. There is no other context or historical note about Booker T. Washington's life, leaving readers to piece together his identity. Regardless, this is an immensely satisfying, accomplished work, resonating first with longing and then with joy. (Picture book. 5- 8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-531-09464-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1995
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
