Status
Available
Collection
Publication
Elsewhere Editions (2019), Edition: Illustrated, 46 pages
Description
While making a mud house for her hornet egg, a wasp follows a human child thoughout his day as he works in a Brazilian charcoal mine.
Local notes
Booklist Starred Reviews, 09/14/2019
Grades 3-6 - *Starred Review* What to make of this idiosyncratic picture book from Brazilian author-illustrator Mello? Told by an observant hornet, it’s the story of two boys in a coal yard where fiery ovens make charcoal. One, dark-skinned, is known only as “the boy.” The other, said to be an albino, is nicknamed Albi by the hornet. The boys scuffle over a lit cigarette, which, dislodged, sets the coal yard on fire. The next day the inspectors come and the boys hide but Albi, because of the whiteness of his skin, is quickly discovered and taken away—to incarceration, perhaps? Alone now, the boy returns to the coal yard, where he foolishly throws mud at the hornet’s nest, driving the hornet to sting him. The boy becomes feverish and, the hornet says, “flies for the first time.” Is he dead? The book is filled with haunting enigmas that are as tantalizing as the vaguely expressionist, non-representational illustrations executed in black, white, and shades of grey (there is smoke everywhere) and accented with neon pink and orange (there is also fire everywhere). The effect is dramatic, especially a layered spread of cut-paper flames. The fascinating mix of words and images invites—almost demands—rereading to tease out meaning. Though not for every reader, the book is perfect for those who enjoy a challenge and a puzzle.
Grades 3-6 - *Starred Review* What to make of this idiosyncratic picture book from Brazilian author-illustrator Mello? Told by an observant hornet, it’s the story of two boys in a coal yard where fiery ovens make charcoal. One, dark-skinned, is known only as “the boy.” The other, said to be an albino, is nicknamed Albi by the hornet. The boys scuffle over a lit cigarette, which, dislodged, sets the coal yard on fire. The next day the inspectors come and the boys hide but Albi, because of the whiteness of his skin, is quickly discovered and taken away—to incarceration, perhaps? Alone now, the boy returns to the coal yard, where he foolishly throws mud at the hornet’s nest, driving the hornet to sting him. The boy becomes feverish and, the hornet says, “flies for the first time.” Is he dead? The book is filled with haunting enigmas that are as tantalizing as the vaguely expressionist, non-representational illustrations executed in black, white, and shades of grey (there is smoke everywhere) and accented with neon pink and orange (there is also fire everywhere). The effect is dramatic, especially a layered spread of cut-paper flames. The fascinating mix of words and images invites—almost demands—rereading to tease out meaning. Though not for every reader, the book is perfect for those who enjoy a challenge and a puzzle.
Awards
USBBY Outstanding International Book (Grades 6-8 — 2020)
The White Ravens (2010)