"These are my crazy brothers,
and this is our fed-up mum.
Here is the sand hill
we built to slide down.
whooping
and shrieking
and laughing."
What a debut this is! It begs to be read repeatedly to savor the sounds and rhythms of word choice and storytelling. A tour of their village allows readers a glimpse at the mud homes, the abandoned car, and the amazing sand hill they have built for sliding but also for much more boisterous fun. There's even a huge tree for climbing and for jumping.
"But the best thing of all
in our village
is me and my brothers' bike."
Readers will be astonished to see the workmanship using wood scraps, tin cans, old books, a bent bucket seat and Mom's old milk pot. That bike is a wonder of modern design, and can take the children anywhere they want to go. Who would have guessed? It 'shicketty shake's, and 'winketty wonk's, and 'bumpetty bump's ... all the while providing speedy hi-jinks and more fun than you can shake a stick at!
The artist uses acrylic paints on recycled cardboard to create energetic and detailed art that brings glorious life to a trio of children who use their ingenuity and resourcefulness to make the best of their days, despite the poverty of their surroundings. The BLM license plate is telling and timely.
In her author's note, Ms. Clarke says:
"What these times have taught me was how to make something out
of nothing, and that children will try to find joy no matter the
circumstances. ... The girl and boys in this story love their patchwork
bike just as much as a kid with a brand-new, expensive BMX might
love theirs - or maybe even more. All they see in it is possibility and fun."
Little ones will love hearing the little girl's story, while older students will take their understanding to a deeper level, and want to discuss issues of poverty, justice and persistence of spirit.
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