Move over Casey Jones—John Blair is a legitimate hero who helped save the lives of 300 passengers on a train caught in a terrifying firestorm in Minnesota in 1894. Nobisso (Hot-Cha-Cha!, 1998, etc.) tells the story with careful attention to the sequence of events along with vivid descriptions of the heat, fire, and fear. Through it all, John Blair emerges as a man of extraordinary bravery, compassion, and dedication to duty. Rose’s watercolor illustrations bring the fearsome scenes to life, conveying the thick black smoke and the orange glow of the menacing fire, as well as the terror. The major flaw in the book is the blur between anecdotal history and storytelling. Nobisso incorporates a great deal of conversation into the narrative. Herein lies the dilemma: are these conversations direct quotes from Blair’s report and witnesses’ testimony, or are they the author’s creations? An epilogue presents a great deal of additional information and gives some indication of the author’s research and depth of knowledge. But there is no actual documentation. As it currently stands, the book appears to be historical fiction. As such it is an exciting introduction to a little-known incident in American history and to a genuine African-American hero. (Picture book. 8-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-618-01560-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2000
By 1776 the British army had taken control of two key areas, New York City and Long Island Sound. For Hannah, nine, and her family, the troops are a real threat to their community, just across the sound in Fairfield, Connecticut. Hannah’s older brother Ben wants to go join the forces under General Washington, but his father will have none of it at first; when British warships are sighted he reluctantly gives the boy his blessing. For two days the female members of the household spin, weave, and sew suitable clothing; Hannah, who has never been good at domestic duties, is afraid she won’t be able to do her part, but masters her chores. Van Leeuwen makes this story—the first in the Pioneer Daughters trilogy—compelling through the picture of daily life during the era: Everyone does everything that needed to be done, whether they wanted to or not. It’s clear that Hannah has plans beyond the household; her saving of a baby lamb, and the influence of her Granny Hannah, who was a midwife and nurse, indicate that someday she will move on, but meanwhile, there is work to be done for the family’s survival. Her story—especially the details that are usually relegated to sidebars and laundry lists in history books—will entertain and inspire anyone who is interested in the past. (b&w illustrations, not seen, map) (Fiction. 7-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8037-2335-0
Page Count: 87
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Readers won’t find this neighbor strange; he merely entertains an age-old desire to fly. But hark back a 120 years, when this story takes place, and one can begin to appreciate the skeptics who surround Melville Murrell, technically the creator of the first human-powered airplane two decades before the Wright brothers. To the narrator, it’s strange that “our neighbor” studies birds, makes drawings, and tries to be airborne. The title sentence becomes a bleating refrain, turning the book into a one-kick joke when Murrell’s contraption flies and the narrator is almost rendered speechless. Krudop’s paintings, with their great slabs of vibrant color, are atmospheric delights, conjuring up Murrell as the eccentric his neighbors believe him to be, and the era as one in which innovators were no more appreciated—at least till they struck it rich—than they are today. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-531-30107-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1999
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