A grim tale of loss that may itself be lost on young readers.
From Canada, a picture book, originally published in French, for older readers that tells a story of decisions made and the consequences thereof.
Jack, a grizzled sea captain, lives on his boat, even planting a garden on it, because he is obsessed with finding his son, Julos. On a father-son outing years ago, Julos disappeared, and Jack last saw him in the jaws of a distinctively scarred gray whale. Torn by grief and rage, Jack made the decision not to go home to his waiting wife until he could track down the whale. Despite, or perhaps because of, these allusions to Moby-Dick and the biblical Jonah story, this tale fails to reach their depths. Years have passed, and Jack has searched, turning into a “mean, dark” man. When he finally does find the whale, he comes face to face with his reckoning. It’s a grim, unrequited story of loss, and it seems more geared to adult sensibilities than young readers’. Poetically inclined middle graders and young teens may revel in the lyrical, often beautiful narrative, although it occasionally comes off as labored. Coté-Lacroix’s spare illustrations are in a subdued palette, mostly shades of gray and brown. Some aspects are simply sketched in rather than filled in with color, and this gives the illustrations an alluring insubstantiality that matches the shifting, ephemeral quality of the story. All characters present White.
A grim tale of loss that may itself be lost on young readers. (Picture book. 10-14)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-77164-757-1
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Greystone Kids
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Powerful, heartbreaking, and hopeful.
The boy “did something bad. Truly bad.”
A 107-year-old narrator speaks directly to someone named Olka, saying the stories in the book are about “me and you” as well as the boy, Alex (who presents white). What follows is an intense dual narrative that moves between the speaker’s tragic life during the Holocaust and contemporary 12-year-old Alex’s tale of loss and its aftermath. Alex’s mother has disappeared, and he lives with an aunt and uncle who don’t want him. His resentment, self-loathing, and all-consuming anger cause him to commit a violent act, “the Incident,” for which he’s arrested. His social worker arranges community service at Shady Glen Retirement Home, where he meets the narrator, Joseph “Josey” Kravitz, who keeps to himself and hasn’t spoken in five years. But he’s drawn to Alex and decides to share his story. When Alex’s terrible Incident is finally disclosed, readers will grasp its gravity. Both storylines are filled with misunderstandings, tragedy, horrible acts of hatred, and selfless acts of bravery, which affect the protagonists in profound ways. As they realize that they have much in common, both Alex and Josey learn they can “rise to the occasion of [their] lives.” Best-selling award winner Forman interweaves the tales carefully, with striking language and depth of feeling, allowing readers to understand the characters’ changing perspectives as they learn more about themselves and open up to people around them, many of whom become advocates and friends.
Powerful, heartbreaking, and hopeful. (author’s note, bibliography, further reading) (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Aug. 27, 2024
ISBN: 9781665943277
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
The Baudelaire children—Violet, 14, Klaus, 12, and baby Sunny—are exceedingly ill-fated; Snicket extracts both humor and horror from their situation, as he gleefully puts them through one terrible ordeal after another. After receiving the news that their parents died in a fire, the three hapless orphans are delivered into the care of Count Olaf, who “is either a third cousin four times removed, or a fourth cousin three times removed.” The villainous Count Olaf is morally depraved and generally mean, and only takes in the downtrodden yet valiant children so that he can figure out a way to separate them from their considerable inheritance. The youngsters are able to escape his clutches at the end, but since this is the first installment in A Series of Unfortunate Events, there will be more ghastly doings. Written with old-fashioned flair, this fast-paced book is not for the squeamish: the Baudelaire children are truly sympathetic characters who encounter a multitude of distressing situations. Those who enjoy a little poison in their porridge will find it wicked good fun. (b&w illustrations, not seen) (Fiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 30, 1999
ISBN: 0-06-440766-7
Page Count: 162
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1999
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