Hey, Wall

July 9, 2018
The wall of the title belongs to a city building, its expanse broken only by a straggling vine, some graffiti, and a torn poster for some long-ago event. A boy addresses it: “Maybe once you were full of style,/ but no one has taken care of you./ You are nothing to look at.” In textural, mural-like paintings by Parra (Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos), friendly-looking, folk-art-style children play on matte pages. Though the landscape is bleak (“We cheer for the tiny flowers pushing through the cracks in the sidewalk”), the neighborhood’s families—of all colors—eat, dance, and laugh together (“there is love; there is joy”). The boy realizes that if something is to be done about the wall’s uncared-for expanse, it’s up to him: “I’ve got my pencil,/ I’ve got my paints,/ I’ve got my dreams.” The boy organizes his neighbors, and with paint, ladders, and smiles, they create a beautiful mural. This story of urban renewal sends a welcome double message by Verde (The Water Princess): neighbors and neighborhoods are more than the way they look, and ordinary people can band together to transform big things. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Erica Rand Silverman, Sterling Lord Literistic. Illustrator’s agents: Adriana Dominguez and Stefanie Von Borstel, Full Circle Literary.

August 1, 2018
Each day, a school-age child passes the neglected outer wall of what appears to be an abandoned movie theater in a diverse New York City neighborhood. The streets bustle with kids, families, and traffic. Inside the child's home the family hosts potlucks, and, on the roof, there is dancing and singing. These lively communal gatherings are in direct contrast to the blank, mute wall that everyone ignores--until the brown-skinned child takes charge. Together with neighbors and friends, armed with paint and sketches, they give life to their memories and imaginations. In no time at all, the wall is the neighborhood. Verde's simple, expository, second-person narrative fluctuates between youthful exuberance and adult commentary as readers follow the tired wall through the seasons. "Soon we have filled you with colors, / creations, energy. / You are stone but you don't have to be hard." Parra's familiar, flat matte illustrations chronicle the wall's evolution until it reflects the neighborhood's vibrancy back to the people who enliven its revitalized surface. Mural projects have often traditionally served as unifying forces within blighted, fragmented communities, but not in this case. The residents interact, are friendly, and are organically connected before the mural is planned. Since the unnamed child is the catalyst of this activity, it's a pity the voice is not more consistently childlike.A classroom-friendly call for social activism somewhat marred by a too-adult voice. (Picture book. 5-8)

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August 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 3-Verde's unique style and simple yet increasingly important messages of peace, mindfulness, and community make her stories a must-share! This title is no different. Turning the first page, readers see the big wall referenced in the title, but also the bustling city street and sidewalks, and a boy-pondering the surface and wondering how he can make this empty wall something special that represents his life and his community. The boy walks children through the seasons, and they see that the wall is unchanged and unadorned as the city lives and breathes around it. The boy decides to take matters into his own hands, and with the power of art and community, he breathes life back into the wall, so it pulses and dances just like the people and neighbors it now represents. The final page shows the transformation and the simple words, Hey, Wall! Both the author and illustrator notes are instrumental in sharing this picture book as a read-aloud with students and will spark the necessary conversation of change and community, and how art can support both. VERDICT A must-purchase for elementary libraries that could easily support art curriculums covering topics of graffiti, street art, and using art to spark social change.-Meghan Oppelt, Whitehall School District, WI

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