| Author: Barbara McClintock |
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When Simon’s older
sister, Adèle, picks
him up from school, he has
his hat and gloves and scarf
and sweater, his coat and
knapsack and books and crayons,
and a drawing of a cat he
made that morning. Adèle
makes Simon promise to try
not to lose anything. But
as they make their way home,
distractions cause Simon
to leave something behind
at every stop. What will
they tell their mother?
Detailed pen-and-ink drawings – filled
with soft watercolors – make
a game of this unforgettable
tour through the streets
and scenes of early-twentieth-century
Paris. Illustrated endpapers
extend the fun by replicating
a 1907 Baedeker map of Paris.
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From Publishers Weekly
In this nostalgic
charmer, McClintock (Dahlia)
imagines a walking tour
of Paris circa 1900, traced
by two distractible siblings
on their way home from
school. (The endpapers,
taken from a 1907 Baedeker
map, chart the roundabout
route.) When Adele greets
Simon, "He [has] his
hat and gloves and scarf
and sweater, his coat and
knapsack and books and
crayons, and a drawing
of a cat he'd made that
morning." Despite
his sister's pleading that
he keep track of his possessions,
Simon loses everything
on the list. At a market,
closely observed from a
bird's eye-view, vendors
sell carrots, books, birds
and baskets, and Simon
misplaces his drawing.
Sharp-eyed readers might
locate the boy's picture,
but the siblings do not.
Adele and Simon move on
to the Louvre, Notre-Dame
and the Jardin du Luxembourg,
where they watch the Punch
and Judy show and a parade
of the Republican Guard.
Simon drops a belonging
at every stop, but in the
reassuring conclusion,
a queue of watchful people
arrives at the children's
home to return the goods.
In illustrations that mimic
hand-colored engravings,
McClintock pictures orange
autumn foliage against
pale blue-gray skies. She
depicts every detail with
precision and warmth, from
architecture and cobblestones
to horses, early automobiles
and period clothing. An
afterword with thumbnail
images identifies each
location and allusions
to Daumier, Atget and a
few Impressionists (other
allusions, such as one
to Madeline, are left to
discover). McClintock scores
a double coup, creating
a must-see for francophiles
and an engaging hide-and-seek
game for homebodies.
Copyright 2006 Reed Business
Information. |
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| Ages 4 to 8 |
$16.00 (hardcover)
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