Rolling Thunder

March 15, 2017
A tribute to the massive annual motorcycle rally in Washington, D.C., that honors our country's veterans.Fittingly for an event that is all about remembering, Ruth's illustrations depict hazy, often translucent figures riding through misty golden light past the towering statue of Abraham Lincoln to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. A white child narrates in terse rhyme: -Grandpa rides for Joe and Tom, / friends he lost in Vietnam.- Traveling to rendezvous with Grandpa by train, the narrator adds, -our trip is for Uncle Zach, / flying airplanes far away. / His picture rides with me today.- Dressed in camo and riding in the grizzled grandfather's sidecar, the child reaches the wall, where they -Leave a single flower. Kneel. / Names in charcoal. Cry. And heal.- Then at day's end it's time to ride again, with -Whispered wishes. Come home soon.- Only a quick mention of -POWs, MIAs- acknowledges that they are the event's chief focus (or at least the focus of its organizers). More troublingly, in the art almost all of the visible faces, both of riders and in the background crowds, are white. A deeply felt if sketchy companion for Eve Bunting's The Wall, illustrated by Ronald Himler (1990), or the plethora of introductions to the Memorial Day holiday. (afterword) (Picture book. 6-8)

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May 1, 2017

K-Gr 3-A tribute to the phenomenon that is the Rolling Thunder Ride for Freedom, which takes place in Washington, DC, every Memorial Day weekend. In rhyming text, a young boy describes his journey to the capital to meet his grandfather, who rides his motorcycle to honor two friends who died in Vietnam. The child brings a photo of his pilot uncle, lost in another war. After the narrator's train trip, he joins the cyclists' encampment for memory sharing and a meal. The next morning, he rides in Grandpa's sidecar in the miles-long rows of motorcycles parading past the Lincoln Memorial. "Lines of bikes are miles long, /shining, half a million strong./Rumbling, grumbling, engines roar./Peace signs. High fives. Spirits soar." Ruth's background in comics illustration is evident in his skillful use of palette to reflect mood. The realistic paintings rely on warm yellows and reds to depict the boy's home; olive fatigues and the purple-lit monument are featured during more solemn moments. VERDICT A lyrical ode to our nation's fallen heroes and those who keep their memories alive, suitable for one-on-one and small group sharing. A good choice for most collections.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA

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