A debut YA novel about life in Pakistan during and soon after the events of 9/11.
The story is told through the eyes of several Pakistani boys who live either in the increasingly desperate rural areas of the country or in the larger, more secure, urban areas. Adam lives in the port city of Karachi; his best friend, Omar, lives nearby and is the son of the province’s chief of police. They watch the World Trade Center fall on television, while guards patrol outside the house. Sher and his brother Ali, in contrast, live in a rural area and work hard to help their struggling family tend the flock that is their livelihood. The aftermath of 9/11, however, sends shock waves through all the young boys’ lives, and Sher and Ali feel them much sooner than others; they embark on a journey with a strange man who promises them much-needed money for just a few weeks’ work. But the “bubble” around Adam and Omar is also quick to burst, and all four boys eventually cross paths as they try to escape the very real threat of death. Overall, this is a powerful story, simply told. Chowdhry does a very good job of conveying the kids’ complex sets of circumstances as he paints a vivid portrait of innocent Pakistani people facing the terror of a fringe, fundamentalist group. This is a perspective not often seen, and the author balances its elements well by using characters from diverse backgrounds. The narrative’s one rough spot, however, is its stiff dialogue (“I am part of the school team that will compete in the Sind National Championships!”), which diminishes the characters and sometimes lessens the impact of an otherwise effective tale.
A well-balanced and often powerful story recommended for younger teens and history buffs.
Pub Date: July 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1494911768
Page Count: 78
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Aug. 7, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A joyful celebration.
Families in a variety of configurations play, dance, and celebrate together.
The rhymed verse, based on a song from the Noodle Loaf children’s podcast, declares that “Families belong / Together like a puzzle / Different-sized people / One big snuggle.” The accompanying image shows an interracial couple of caregivers (one with brown skin and one pale) cuddling with a pajama-clad toddler with light brown skin and surrounded by two cats and a dog. Subsequent pages show a wide array of families with members of many different racial presentations engaging in bike and bus rides, indoor dance parties, and more. In some, readers see only one caregiver: a father or a grandparent, perhaps. One same-sex couple with two children in tow are expecting another child. Smart’s illustrations are playful and expressive, curating the most joyful moments of family life. The verse, punctuated by the word together, frequently set in oversized font, is gently inclusive at its best but may trip up readers with its irregular rhythms. The song that inspired the book can be found on the Noodle Loaf website.
A joyful celebration. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22276-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020
Continuing to find inspiration in the work of Virginia Lee Burton, Munro Leaf and other illustrators of the past, Long (The Little Engine That Could, 2005) offers an aw-shucks friendship tale that features a small but hardworking tractor (“putt puff puttedy chuff”) with a Little Toot–style face and a big-eared young descendant of Ferdinand the bull who gets stuck in deep, gooey mud. After the big new yellow tractor, crowds of overalls-clad locals and a red fire engine all fail to pull her out, the little tractor (who had been left behind the barn to rust after the arrival of the new tractor) comes putt-puff-puttedy-chuff-ing down the hill to entice his terrified bovine buddy successfully back to dry ground. Short on internal logic but long on creamy scenes of calf and tractor either gamboling energetically with a gaggle of McCloskey-like geese through neutral-toned fields or resting peacefully in the shade of a gnarled tree (apple, not cork), the episode will certainly draw nostalgic adults. Considering the author’s track record and influences, it may find a welcome from younger audiences too. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-399-25248-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2009
SEEN & HEARD
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