Red

Description

From School Library Journal K-Gr 2—Originally from Belgium, this quiet yet powerful book addresses bullying. When a little girl notices her classmate blushing, her initial amusement turns to regret as a wink, a grin, and a laugh to the others make things much worse. Though Tommy repeatedly asks to be left alone, the children, especially Paul, continue to laugh and jeer at him. "Paul stares at me. 'Got something to say?' he gives Tommy a push. I shrug my shoulders and bite my lip. I don't say anything." The little girl shares her internal struggle to stand up for her friend versus her fear of the bully, whose "tongue is as sharp as a knife. And…fist is as hard as a brick." Yet, when the teacher questions the group, her fear is ultimately overpowered by her conscience. A wordless spread of angry, guilty, and ashamed faces all awash in red depicts the little girl in full color, bravely raising her hand. To her surprise, other hands follow—"Everyone saw what happened. We all talk at once. I can breathe again. I'm not all on my own." Though the bully confronts her later, the other children rally to her side. Using a palette of primarily red, black, and cream, the appealing cartoon illustrations are rendered in pencil, charcoal, ink, aquarelle, acrylic, and collage. VERDICT The tasteful, sensitive treatment of an important topic is sure to spark class discussion.—Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schools Read more Review USBBY 2015 Outstanding International BookNotable Books for a Global Society 2016CCBCChoices 2016Booklist (STARRED review) "From the proliferation of red throughout this book, we know visually it has strong emotional content, and the cover, with a dispirited boy being gawked at by others, adds to its impact. . . . While the text is sparse (and in red), as the teasing builds to a crescendo, the distinctive pencil, charcoal, ink, acrylic, and collage art dramatically shows events spin out of control. . . . [A] thoughtful, accessible story." Publishers Weekly "A useful opening into discussions about taking a stand when others do wrong." Kirkus Reviews "The beguiling artwork and pulsing heart at the story's center provide much food-for-thought — not to mention an opportunity for children to put themselves into the shoes of the bystander of a cruel act, which surely happens on playgrounds more than adults would care to admit. Thoughtful and beautifully illustrated, it's definitely one to look for." Children's Illustration (blog) "An elegant story about the bravery of everyday life on the playground." Jen Robinson's Book Page "Red will be validating for young readers in early elementary school. It would make a fine classroom read aloud. . . . De Kinder's illustrations are simply gorgeous."Children’s Literature “This story brings all-too-familiar situations to young readers and opens spaces for important conversations.”   Read more See all Editorial Reviews