HILL OF FIRE

by Thomas P. Lewis ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1971

Nothing ever happens,"" bemoans the farmer, Pablo's father, until one day his plow opens up the earth and, before the eyes of the Mexican villagers, a volcano is born. Smoke. . . CRACK. . . BOOM. BOOM, BOOM! Steaming lava pours out, burning stone fills the air; the farmer's house, the school, the market and half the village are buried. There'll be another bigger house, far enough away to be safe from El Monstruo -- but, the farmer tells the awed children, ""One hill of fire is enough for me."" Just what does happen on a typical village day, and then the explosion, really Paricutin in 1943 -- the whole being not so much history as mores in tranquillity and under fire. The energy is chiefly the volcano's, though Joan Sandin's strong sense of design is manifest throughout (so, unfortunately, is the difficulty all artists seem to have with Mexican skin tones). Still and all, a unique event is borne home.

Pub Date: March 1, 1971

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Harper & Row

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1971

Categories: CHILDREN'S