What a powerful picture book that takes us step-by-step through the life of a boy growing up in Czechoslovakia under Communist domination. Through his pictures and sparse text Peter Sis gives young readers a chance to experience and think about how dark and difficult these times were. The older reader can connect with the author's reminding us what life was like in these United States during the same period.
Just when it seems there might be a ray of light coming into the closed world, the Soviet tanks roll in. It's amazing to learn of the power of the Beatles and the Beach Boys who appear as beacons of hope. Not to be missed, this book is a 2008 Caldecott Honor Award winner.
56 pages 978-0374347017 Ages 7-12
Keyword: The Cold War; Czech Republic; Slovakia; rebellion, Caldecott Honor Medal, art, history, music, 7 year old, 8 year old, 9 year old, 10 year old, 11 year old, 12 year old, oppression, communism
Recommended by: Barb Langridge, abookandahug.com
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"I was born at the beginning of it all, on the Red side―the Communist side―of the Iron Curtain." Through annotated illustrations, journals, maps, and dreamscapes, Peter Sís shows what life was like for a child who loved to draw, proudly wore the red scarf of a Young Pioneer, stood guard at the giant statue of Stalin, and believed whatever he was told to believe. But adolescence brought questions. Cracks began to appear in the Iron Curtain, and news from the West slowly filtered into the country. Sís learned about beat poetry, rock 'n' roll, blue jeans, and Coca-Cola. He let his hair grow long, secretly read banned books, and joined a rock band. Then came the Prague Spring of 1968, and for a teenager who wanted to see the world and meet the Beatles, this was a magical time. It was short-lived, however, brought to a sudden and brutal end by the Soviet-led invasion. But this brief flowering had provided a glimpse of new possibilities―creativity could be discouraged but not easily killed.
By joining memory and history, Sís takes us on his extraordinary journey: from infant with paintbrush in hand to young man borne aloft by the wings of his art. This title has Common Core connections."--from the publisher
