Sky Boys

January 9, 2006
A second-person narrative voice places readers at the construction site of (at that time) the world's tallest skyscraper. From the first line, "It's the end of winter,/ and your pop's lost his job," the grim realities of the Depression form the story's backdrop. Opening spreads show a boy collecting firewood from "that old hotel/ they tore down at/ Thirty-fourth and Fifth." Hopkinson (Fannie in the Kitchen
) infuses an emotional charge in her dramatization of the building's erection ("a symbol of hope/ in the darkest of times"), while also folding technical details into lyrical prose: "First come rumbling flatbed trucks,/ bundles of steel on their backs,/ like a gleaming, endless river/ surging through/ the concrete canyons of Manhattan." Ransome's oil paintings, in hues of blue, gray and russet brown, capture the scale and increasing elevation at which the "sky boys" worked. Framed against white clouds, men stand precariously on steel scaffolding. One spread, divided into vertical quarters, shows the building's progress in June, July, August and November; the next, a climactic vertical spread, boldly labeled "5:42 pm March 18, 1931," depicts workers stationed on the pinnacle mast, an American flag billowing behind them. Photographs of the site's actual construction decorate the endpapers, and an endnote offers even more details. The subplot about the father and son (who tour the completed building at the book's close) seems tacked on, but the drama of the building's rise makes for a literally riveting account. Ages 4-9.

February 1, 2006
K-Gr 4 -Hopkinson and Ransome chronicle the construction of this famous building through the eyes of a young boy. The present-tense text gives the book a true -You are there - feel as the author describes both the actual building process and its significance as a symbol of hope during the Depression era. The pacing is never rushed, but at the same time it moves along at an energetic clip that matches the speed that characterized the construction of this National Historic Landmark. Ransome -s stunning oil paintings vary in perspective as readers look up at what was once the tallest building in the world, and then down from dizzying heights as workers perch on girders on the 47th floor, feeding pigeons while taking a break for beef stew and coffee. An author -s note reflects the painstaking and careful research done by both author and illustrator to ensure as authentic a presentation as possible. This is a fascinating look at a slice of American history and a worthwhile addition to any collection." -Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2005
Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. Crisp, lyrical free verse and bold paintings celebrate the skill and daring of those who constructed the Empire State Building. During the Great Depression, a young boy learns about plans for the building. As the tower rises, the boy visits the site with his unemployed father and sees in the emerging skyscraper "a symbol of hope / in the darkest of times." The second-person voice occasionally feels like a clumsy reach for connection with the audience: "It's the end of winter, / and your pop's lost his job." But Hopkinson makes the construction details thrilling in skillfully integrated lines, filled with statistics: "This steel is strong and new / only eighty hours old." Ransome's powerful acrylic paintings show the building in all stages of construction, and includes the workers' perilous views. A unique, memorable title, this will enhance poetry and history units and combine well with Susan Goodman's excellent S" kyscraper" and Connie Ann Kirk's " Sky Dancer" (both 2004).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)