Inspired by actual events, Raven (Angels in the Dust, 1996) recounts the story of a little girl in war-ravaged Germany and the American pilot who helped preserve her faith in human goodness. Frankenhuyzen’s (Adopted by an Owl, not reviewed, etc.) opening portrait reveals the devastation in postwar Berlin. On the next spread, Mercedes scolds her uncooperative chickens (“Tomorrow I want an egg from each of you”). With the constant drone of airplanes up above, Mercedes is sure they’re too scared to do what comes naturally; she, on the other hand, loves the planes—they deliver food and clothing to a city strangled by Stalin and the Russian blockade. Back inside her apartment—the exterior of which is punched with holes—Mercedes’s mother shares with her a newspaper article about “The Wonderful American Chocolate Pilot, Lt. Gail Halvorsen” and the “candy-filled parachutes” he provides for the local children. When Mercedes fails to catch a chocolate bar of her own, she writes the pilot and asks him to make a special delivery (“When you . . . see the white chickens, please drop some candy there and all will be ok”). Instead, he sends her sweets in the mail—and a letter. An author’s note fills in the historical facts; an epilogue tells of the reunion that took place between Mercedes and Mr. Halvorsen 22 years later and their enduring friendship. Lengthy front and back matter nearly outshines the narrative. Still, Raven’s uplifting account imparts a positive humanitarian message. (Picture book. 5-10)
Pub Date: June 15, 2002
ISBN: 1-58536-069-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2002
BOOK REVIEW
This telling of one of the most consequential episodes in U.S. civil-rights history is aimed at the youngest of readers, but it suffers from its clunky, House-That-Jack-Built–patterned narrative. More compelling is the Greek chorus of playground pals—a diverse group of miniature boys and girls—who float in the foreground of each loose, watercolor cartoon illustration, explaining and reacting to the larger-pictured action with modern-day understanding. An introduction, if children read it, may give just enough background to avoid referential confusion on the very first page: “This is a law forbidding / black people to sit next to white people on buses, / which was overturned because one woman was brave.” (No law is stated.) Includes a seven-sentence author’s note, a simple, 14-point timeline of Parks’s life and a black-and-white photo of Parks. (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-9)
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2005
ISBN: 0-618-44911-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2005
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Avi's first entry in the I Can Read chapter-book series tells the true story of Roger Williams's 1635 flight from arrest for "preaching dangerous new ideas." He heads into the wilds of colonial New England, eventually sending for his family to join him in founding a new settlement where religious freedom is allowed, which his daughter, the narrator, names Providence. The story covers only his decision to flee and the highlights of his subsequent journey, an odd time frame that leaves out the events leading up to Williams's trial, his life with the Indians, the rigors of founding a new settlement, or even much detail about the Puritan intolerance from which he fled. During the trial, only the gasps of spectators indicate the contrast between their views and his, the latter of which will seem right and just to contemporary readers, and therefore unfathomable as the basis for prosecution. The illustrations are soft and pale, lacking drama; many of the characters share the same expression, looking as if they are whistling. A complement to other sources on Williams's life—this is neither interesting enough for general readers, nor specific enough for those not already grounded in the facts. (Fiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: Feb. 28, 1997
ISBN: 0-06-025179-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1997
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