Tak bases her novel on actual facts: Wojtek (spelled phonetically as Voytek in Watkinson's translation) was a real Syrian...
A bear cub purchased by a pair of Polish free soldiers in the Iranian desert in 1942 becomes a private in the Polish army, a member of the 22nd Transport Company and an active participant in the war in Italy.
Tak bases her novel on actual facts: Wojtek (spelled phonetically as Voytek in Watkinson's translation) was a real Syrian brown bear, really in the Polish Army and really the artillery-carrying subject of his company's emblem. But her humans are fictional characters, a group of five soldiers including Peter, the bear cub's new "mother," Stanislav, who purchases him and figures out how to feed him, and Lolek, who adopts the monkey who eventually becomes his friend. The narrative focuses on the bear's antics, which both enliven the soldiers’ lives and cause them difficulty. Originally published in Holland in 2009 as Soldaat Wojtek, this is smoothly translated and engagingly illustrated with sketches and helpful maps. Funny, fresh and heartwarming, it doesn't ignore the horrors of war but concentrates on the joy of having an animal friend, albeit a difficult one.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-8028-5375-2
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Eerdmans
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A deliberate look at Norwegian immigrants on the Canadian prairie recalls Sarah, Plain and Tall for a slightly older audience. When 12-year-old Erik's mother remarries, she promises him that they'll stay close to his grandparent's Norwegian farm. Instead, within a year, Erik's taciturn stepfather, Rolf, has taken them first to Minnesota and then to the wilds of Saskatchewan, ostensibly in search of his brother, Lars. Erik dislikes Rolf and feels uncomfortable on the flat Western prairies, so different from home, but he loves farming and he works hard to help Rolf build a new home. Soon Erik discovers what Rolf told his mother but not him—he has a son from his first marriage, raised by his brother after Rolf's wife died, and it's really Olaf, now nearly grown, that Rolf traveled all this way to see. Olaf resents Rolf and seems to be headed for trouble, and Rolf seems uncomfortable around him, but as the year progresses so do the characters. Erik comes to admire Rolf's hard work and persistence and Olaf's generosity; they begin, slowly, to feel like a family. A subplot about thieving cowboys and a horse race doesn't add much to the story, but it doesn't hinder it, either. This tale draws its grace from the fine, detailed portrait of immigrants making their way in a new world. (Historical fiction. 9-13)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-55050-450-7
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Coteau Books
Review Posted Online: April 3, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
When her artist father is invited to Australia, Elizabeth must stay with an aunt she barely knows. There she comes to learn more about her family, which traces its history back to the Revolutionary War in upstate New York, and—even more important—Eliza, nicknamed Zee, an ancestor whose framed drawing graces her aunt’s wall and whom Elizabeth uncannily resembles. The novel is narrated in alternate chapters as Elizabeth and Zee, presumably young teens, tell their stories in the 21st and 18th centuries, respectively. Readers will be intrigued by their similarities—klutzy and forgetful, yet strong-willed and resourceful. The more compelling drama is Zee’s, whose family is caught up in the conflict of colonists torn between loyalties to crown or American patriotism. History is truly in the small details, and Zee’s story, narrated in first person, past tense, is fascinating and adventurous. Elizabeth’s voice is an odd choice, however. Her narration, in third person, present tense, is coolly distancing. Still, this is a lovely story about love and loss, a little-known aspect of Revolutionary history and the way the past informs the present, and the ending is gratifying. (author’s note) (Fiction. 10-14)
Pub Date: Sept. 14, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-375-83888-0
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Wendy Lamb/Random
Review Posted Online: July 29, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2010
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