Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (2007), Edition: 1, 56 pages
Description
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 Sis 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. Si;s 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.… (more)
Media reviews
CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices 2008)
CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices 2008)
Renowned author and illustrator Peter Sís’ brilliant autobiographical exploration of the creative spirit offers his trademark blend of intricate visual images and narrative. Sís was born in Communist-controlled Brno, Czechoslovakia, in
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1949 and displayed artistic interests from very early on. His talents were indulged and encouraged within his home. At the same time, creativity and freedom of thought were being repressed in his school and throughout his homeland as the Iron Curtain rose and the Cold War escalated. Sís beautifully outlines the tension between socio-political repression and creativity through journal excerpts, actual drawings from his developing years as an artist, and hauntingly complex images outlining the historical context of turbulent times in Eastern Europe. Each image underscores how he questioned the world around him as a developing child and adolescent, especially as news of Western popular culture filtered through the curtain. Creative expression and opportunity exploded for the author in the spring of 1968, only to be crushed quickly by the totalitarian strong arm. Sís was able to hold on to his dreams, however, fueled by his indomitable spirit and the force of his own imagination. CCBC Category: Historical People, Places, and Events. 2007, Frances Foster Books / Farrar Straus and Giroux, 48 pages, $18.00. Age 9 and older.
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User reviews
LibraryThing member Smiler69
In this autobiographical graphic novel, artist Peter Sís describes growing up as a budding artist in Czechoslovakia after it was invaded by the communists. As a toddler, there is the freedom of drawing from his imagination, but with school enrolment comes indoctrination to communist ideals, youth
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groups, state-sanctioned art and countless other obligations all promoting these ideals, including the pressure to inform on family, neighbour and friends who speak or act contrary to state edicts. Then comes the Spring of 1968 in his teenage years with a loosening of rules and regulations and the discovery of Western music including The Beatles, long hair, counter-culture fashion and art. In his inimitable intricate style, Sís tells the story mostly through images, but also supplies diary entries from his youth. A must for fans of his work and a great introduction for those who have yet to discover him. Show Less
LibraryThing member KatieSpears
The Wall:Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain written by Peter Sis is a work of fiction and a picture book. The book is about Peter Sis's life as he was born at the beginning of the Cold War and how he survived its restrictions. This book centers around Sis's love of drawing and self expression. It
I loved this book because of its powerful images in words and through pictures. In a short amount of pages, a thrilling and true account of Sis's life is portrayed. I think this book is memorable due to the impression it has left upon me. I felt the fear, excitement, and joy that is in the storyline. When a book really makes a reader feel all the same feelings, then it is obviously a good book, and this is a good book. The book contains the larger issues of Socialism, Communism, and war. This book as effectively clarified the turmoil of the Cold War, and I feel more sympathetic towards the people who endured the worst of the war.
Teaching ideas:
- Read and compare to Animal Farm
- Read at the same time the students are learning about the Cold War in history class
This book powerful and will amaze any reader. With the issues of survival, war, and growing up, this novel is a diverse set of experiences in one small book. Also, having the Cold War as the event instigator this novel is a great period piece for the classroom.
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contains great pictures by Sis depicting the important political and social movements of the era in Europe. Sis provides a great account of life in Socialist Czchoslovakia.I loved this book because of its powerful images in words and through pictures. In a short amount of pages, a thrilling and true account of Sis's life is portrayed. I think this book is memorable due to the impression it has left upon me. I felt the fear, excitement, and joy that is in the storyline. When a book really makes a reader feel all the same feelings, then it is obviously a good book, and this is a good book. The book contains the larger issues of Socialism, Communism, and war. This book as effectively clarified the turmoil of the Cold War, and I feel more sympathetic towards the people who endured the worst of the war.
Teaching ideas:
- Read and compare to Animal Farm
- Read at the same time the students are learning about the Cold War in history class
This book powerful and will amaze any reader. With the issues of survival, war, and growing up, this novel is a diverse set of experiences in one small book. Also, having the Cold War as the event instigator this novel is a great period piece for the classroom.
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LibraryThing member bell7
Using simple pictures with little color to great effect, Peter Sis tells his story of growing up in Czechoslovakia when the country was behind the Iron Curtain. Ostensibly for children, the book doesn't hold back from exploring the complexities of living under a Communist regime. The author shows
This book is an excellent example of the way in which a story can be powerfully told in graphic form. The Introduction and Afterword serve as the text that grounds the story in history - both the general history of the Cold War, and Peter's personal history as he eventually leaves his home country behind. The images make up the bulk of the story, giving a bird's eye view as we very quickly go through twenty or so years of Peter's life and in how small the elements of the illustrations are. Most of the illustrations are black and white, except for the red of Communist flags and the colors of Peter's art. Clips from his journals serve both to move the story along through time and to give readers a fuller view of what's going on in Peter's life, including such things as the music that influenced him and photographs from his childhood. This is a really excellent, rich story that I highly recommend.
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how he was brainwashed as a child and told what to draw, and follows him through his teenage years when he awakened to much of the censorship and control going on around him.This book is an excellent example of the way in which a story can be powerfully told in graphic form. The Introduction and Afterword serve as the text that grounds the story in history - both the general history of the Cold War, and Peter's personal history as he eventually leaves his home country behind. The images make up the bulk of the story, giving a bird's eye view as we very quickly go through twenty or so years of Peter's life and in how small the elements of the illustrations are. Most of the illustrations are black and white, except for the red of Communist flags and the colors of Peter's art. Clips from his journals serve both to move the story along through time and to give readers a fuller view of what's going on in Peter's life, including such things as the music that influenced him and photographs from his childhood. This is a really excellent, rich story that I highly recommend.
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LibraryThing member ShelbyJoMcKay
The Wall is a story about a boy growing up in the Communist-torn Middle of Europe. His story is about his life; what seemed to be happening, and what really was. He loved music and drawing, and he never stopped doing either of these things, but at times they were not done for him. As the story
This book was not very hard to read, but the concepts of the government and how he lived would be hard to grasp for children below seventh grade, at least. I don't remember being well versed on the Iron Curtain until my tenth grade history class. This could be used as a source for a paper maybe in an upper level class. I do not believe I would use it with children though. The pictures are colorful, but the writing is dry and too much is left to inference.
It was obviously not my favorite book . I was pretty bored. Even the pictures bored me a little. They were really elementary, however what was being said was so deep and trivial. I believe it to be too dark and political for it to be considered a kids' book. It was very informational and interesting to have a deeper look into Peter Sis's life during this era.
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progresses and he gets older you can tell that he has a better understanding of how his country really works. He makes statements about being against his government, and also how his sneaks around all of their silly restrictions.This book was not very hard to read, but the concepts of the government and how he lived would be hard to grasp for children below seventh grade, at least. I don't remember being well versed on the Iron Curtain until my tenth grade history class. This could be used as a source for a paper maybe in an upper level class. I do not believe I would use it with children though. The pictures are colorful, but the writing is dry and too much is left to inference.
It was obviously not my favorite book . I was pretty bored. Even the pictures bored me a little. They were really elementary, however what was being said was so deep and trivial. I believe it to be too dark and political for it to be considered a kids' book. It was very informational and interesting to have a deeper look into Peter Sis's life during this era.
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LibraryThing member Jmmott
This might be my favorite book that I read all semester. Using a graphic novel narrative form in an oversized picture book allowed for both the words and the illustrations to have many details and levels of meaning. Sis writes about the difficult life of being outside of the standards of the
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perfect communist. His rebellion is in his art, and in his brain, but there are threats to sharing it with others. He captures the paranoia of the iron curtain and the suffering of the people who lived behind it. His illustrated memoir resonates on an emotional and a historical level, and is one of the best picture books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member ewyatt
Peter Sis uses drawing and sparse text in this memoir about his childhood and teen years in Czechoslovakia. There is a really Interesting juxtaposition about what was happening politically and what was happening with him and his art personally. Excerpts of his childhood journals are included
This quick read was interesting. The artwork definitely helped drive the tale.
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throughout. It was interesting to read about the freedoms and controlled placed on the country by the government and to see the ramifications of those policies on the lives of individual people, like Sis. This quick read was interesting. The artwork definitely helped drive the tale.
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LibraryThing member Kschreiner
This has ALOT of information, almost too much for a short sitting
LibraryThing member tapestry100
The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain is Peter Sís' autobiographical story of growing up in Czechoslovakia during the Cold War. Told primarily through pictures with side notes of a running timeline of the events during his childhood, you are given a simple but powerful account of what is
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was like to be a child and growing up in Czechoslovakia during this time. Show Less
LibraryThing member MeriJenBen
Artistic from an early age, Sis's unnamed, yet autobiographical narrator, draws what he likes. However, in the tightly controlled and suspicious climate of 1950's Czechoslovakia, he is seamlessly indronated into Soviet ideals. Compulsory displays of patriotism and loyalty are the norm. It is not
An interesting book that bears close examination. I don't respond well to Sis' art -- the heavy crosshatching and intricate shading looks busy to my eye -- but there is no denying that is is a technical masterpiece. The entire narrative has an air of tarnished innocence, as the young narrator ages and discovers thought beyond the party line. I'm not entirely sure who this book is intended for, but it is a masterful piece of graphic storytelling.
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until the young narrator is exposed to Western rock music that he discovers what he has not been told by his government. Finally, after a all too brief period of freedom (the Prague Spring of 1968) and resultant crackdown, the narrartor flees, on wings of his art. An interesting book that bears close examination. I don't respond well to Sis' art -- the heavy crosshatching and intricate shading looks busy to my eye -- but there is no denying that is is a technical masterpiece. The entire narrative has an air of tarnished innocence, as the young narrator ages and discovers thought beyond the party line. I'm not entirely sure who this book is intended for, but it is a masterful piece of graphic storytelling.
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LibraryThing member francescadefreitas
This is a very interesting look at life growing up in Czechoslovakia. The picture book format is very effective, and the black and red ink of the authors daily life contrasts starkly with with the bright colours of the freedom he hoped for.
The page showing the children repeatedly painting a wall in
The use of personal photographs, journal entries, and artwork not only make this story very real, but also give a sense of the author growing and changing.
I would recommend this book to a child or adult interested in art, in the cold war, or in the history of Eastern Europe.
The page showing the children repeatedly painting a wall in
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defiance of the police is very moving. The use of personal photographs, journal entries, and artwork not only make this story very real, but also give a sense of the author growing and changing.
I would recommend this book to a child or adult interested in art, in the cold war, or in the history of Eastern Europe.
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LibraryThing member michelleramos
This book is about a young boy who grew up during the soviet rein in Germany. He tells all about how they controlled everyone and everything, but through it all he always drew. He provides several entries from his journals growing up and they are truly fascinating. He tells about how they would
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brainwash everyone, especially young children and get them to spy on their own parents. Anyone who did anything wrong were considered a traitor and either sentenced to live in prison or put to death. In the end The Wall comes down and at last he has his freedom. The freedom to draw anything that he would like. He uses his pictures and journals so that people can have an inside look at just how horrible it was to grow up under so much control. Show Less
LibraryThing member spartyliblover
A simple story of a boy growing up in Soviet Union who experienced the brainwashing of the Soviet government and then fell in love with what the west had to offer as it snuck into Czechoslovakia. The boy in the story is developed mostly through the pictures with some development through the use of
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journal entries. The plot is the story of his life so the things that happened under Soviet rule during the Cold War make for the majority of the plot. The setting is defined in text and the pictures, many of the laws that were put in place by the Soviet government are illustrated to give more context to the story. This would be a good book in a public library for upper elementary readers. Show Less
LibraryThing member annashapiro
This book was about Peter Sis's experience growing up in Czechoslovakia when it was controlled by the Soviets in the mid- 1900s. The Cold War & his schooling under the Soviet rule shaped everything about Sis, but couldn't take away his love of drawing. (He did get really good at drawing tanks and
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pro-Soviet propaganda though.) These wonderful drawings that are mostly black and white, with the accent of communist Red throughout, (although there are some illustrations with more color - like the Beatles/1960s page!) retell an incredible time in history through the sensitive eyes of one person. There is plenty of straightforward factual & historical information, but it is all kept short, sweet & to the point, so that it effortlessly fits in with what the reader is seeing in illustrations. I love his rebellious nature too: 'Every one of us in the academy has to create a piece of art celebrating the Soviet Army. I'm glad I;m in the animation department! I'' just paint the backgrounds and explain that the tanks are coming later'. And I love this story: Sis's first professional assignment in 1975 was to paint a little airport for an album cover. The art director asked him which way his red-and-white wind sock was blowing in the painting. When Sis thought he was joking, he replied that 'if the wind is blowing from west to east, it could be read as coming from West Germany to the Soviet Union', which would get Sis in trouble. What a fantastic piece of artwork this book is! Show Less
LibraryThing member jessicacl
Peter Sis, the author and illustrator, tells his amazing personal story about growing up in Czech. during the Cold War. I really enjoyed the part as he got older, he questioned more about his surroundings and his life.
LibraryThing member rpultusk
This is Peter Sis' autobiography about his life in Czechoslovakia during the Cold War. The author masterfully employs text (in multiple ways on each page) and intricate pencil drawings (using color in intentional, meaningful ways) in order to convey both the social history and his personal history.
The style of the book is a picture book but it is not intended for young readers. The language is literal and precise. The setting, for the most part, is Czechoslovakia during the Cold War. The text and pictures also include references to countries outside of the Eastern Bloc.
The author uses the medium of the illustrations to add another layer to the text. For example, pages with text about the constraints of the government include sharp, tight pencil drawings with occasional red symbols. Pages with (or without) text about the author's dreams of art and music are done in bright, wild watercolors.
Mature content includes references to torture and prison.
Highly recommended for middle and high school libraries.
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While the lone sentence at the bottom of most of the pages tells his personal story in matter-of-fact, sparse prose, the detailed drawings (and accompanying captions) that take up most of each page tell a much more complex story about the social context of the personal narrative.The style of the book is a picture book but it is not intended for young readers. The language is literal and precise. The setting, for the most part, is Czechoslovakia during the Cold War. The text and pictures also include references to countries outside of the Eastern Bloc.
The author uses the medium of the illustrations to add another layer to the text. For example, pages with text about the constraints of the government include sharp, tight pencil drawings with occasional red symbols. Pages with (or without) text about the author's dreams of art and music are done in bright, wild watercolors.
Mature content includes references to torture and prison.
Highly recommended for middle and high school libraries.
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LibraryThing member jodyjlittle
A powerful book which is a combination of the memoires of the author growing up in Communist ruled Czechoslovakia with the history of the period woven into the cartoon-illustrated frames. The author discusses the strict hold that the Communist government had over the lives of the people. He shows
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how he continued to draw and to dream of the world outside the Iron Curtain. His journal entries include his accounts of forming a rock band, traveling to London and mostly his desire for freedom. Show Less
LibraryThing member ffox
I'm a bit of a Russaphile. A child of the 70's and 80's the Iron Curtain was intriguing to me. I've seen this book before and was happy to finally have a reason to read it. I was pretty disappointed in it. The story lacks a compelling narrative. The artwork was simultaneously bland and busy.
LibraryThing member MaowangVater
In words and drawings Sís reminisces about his childhood and youth in communist controlled Czechoslovakia. “As long as he could remember, he had loved to draw.” As an infant and child at home in Prague he was free to draw whatever he wanted, but when he went to school he was told what to draw
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and what to think. “Looking back, I can see how easy it is to brainwash a child. We were like sheep … until music from the free world—rock ‘n’ roll and the Beatles—made a crack in the wall.” As a youth during the Prague Spring he became part of a rock group and a radio disc jockey until the Russian tanks moved in and the government began to watch and question everybody. In Los Angeles in 1984 he had a chance to defect and he took it. “Now when my American family goes to visit my Czech family in the colorful city of Prague, it is hard to convince them it was ever a dark place full of fear, suspicion, and lies…” Show Less
LibraryThing member vaillance
In the simplicity of his drawings, Peter Sis shows the reader images of what living under a totalitarian regime was like. High school students might find compelling the idea of keeping one's creative passion as a sustaining force in the midst of life's hardships and limitations.
LibraryThing member Orpgirl1
I love this book. I love Peter Sis. I love Russia. Seriously, Sis might as well have just written this book for me-I have already bought enough copies to make sure he's getting a royalty check for life!
The Wall is Sis' autobiography of growing up in communist Czechoslovakia. Using black and white
The Wall is Sis' autobiography of growing up in communist Czechoslovakia. Using black and white
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pen and ink drawings, with small red images in each pane for emotional and historical significance, Sis tells the story of being a talented artist who wasn't allowed to draw what he wanted due to Soviet oppresion. He intersperses pages, drawings, and photos from his own early life to illustrate this harsh childhood, and the book is interacted with on many levels by the reader. Unique to the world of children's pictures books with it's storyline of communist satellite countries, Sis' book strikes an empathetic cord with kids who can't believe they wouldn't be able to draw as small children. The Wall is perfection in story, organization, artistry, and content-my classroom will be filled with copies of it for years to come. Show Less
LibraryThing member smohri
I really like this book because of how it is presented. It appears to be a picture book, but it is so much more. It provides the reader with an opportunity to learn about Czechoslovakian history, an American author, pop culture of the '60's, life under communism, and so much more. The artwork and
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the symbolism are worth discussing. This book would make for a great group discussion for students in 6-12th grade. Show Less
LibraryThing member iclairei
The Wall is a fantastic picture book for older students. It is a fantastic source for learning about the Cold War. The author uses his life and experiences to give the reader access to Czechoslovokia during the Cold War. The artwork is amazing, and conveys as much of the story as the words do.
LibraryThing member sskatherine
This was truly EXCELLENT. It is a thorough examination of life in soviet occupied countries during the cold war. It is told through facts, the boy's personal story (a characterization of the author himself, I believe), and illustrations. The illustrations are done in a comic book style, but are
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detailed and extremely unique. The black-white-red color scheme reflects the emotions and rigidity of life in communist countries, and the full color "western" illustrations depict a feeling of hope. I would love to share this book with older elementary or middle school students studying this era, or perhaps even students interested in creating comic books. It would be a great pre-cursor to Maus. Show Less
LibraryThing member dhn
Peter Sis was born at the beginning of the Cold War in Czechoslovakia. His life was controlled by the Soviet dictatorship and Sis gives his personal account of this influence in the book The Wall. The book is written in a format that compares his personal timeline with a historical one. The book is
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filled with facts that are accompanied by personal drawings. Sis uses black and white dispersed with the communist color of red to illustrate the feeling of oppression during Soviet control and pages with color represent the freedom of the world he desires. This book made me see the Cold War from a more personal perspective, and I feel this would be a great book to use in a classroom when studying this time period. Show Less
LibraryThing member bluemopitz
This was a cool book about life in the Czech Republic done in a graphic novel format interspersed with full-page drawings and excerpts from the author's journals. I liked reading and seeing what life was like for a child behind the iron curtain and how he becomes aware of the brainwashing and
This could be used to teach young adults about world history and the cold war. It could also be used when looking at non-traditional book formats.
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starts to long for the freedoms of the West. This could be used to teach young adults about world history and the cold war. It could also be used when looking at non-traditional book formats.
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Subjects
Awards
Caldecott Medal (Honor Book — 2008)
Boston Globe–Horn Book Award (Winner — Nonfiction — 2008)
BCCB Blue Ribbon Book (2007)
Utah Beehive Book Award (Nominee — Informational Books — 2009)
Orbis Pictus Award (Recommended Title — 2008)
Indies Choice Book Award (Honor Book — 2008)
Flicker Tale Award (Nominee — 2009)
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal (Winner — 2008)
CYBILS Awards (Finalist — 2007)
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Selection — 2008)
CCBC Choices (2008)
Notable Children's Book (2008)
Great Graphic Novels for Teens (Top Ten — 2008)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2007 (1e édition originale américaine)
2007-10-10 (1e traduction et édition française, Grasset Jeunesse)
Physical description
56 p.; 12.34 inches
ISBN
0374347018 / 9780374347017