The Outlaw

May 1, 2018

K-Gr 3-In this beautiful, somber tale of making amends, rumors of an outlaw scare an unnamed Wild West-era town. Passengers worry that the criminal will plunder their trains. Shopkeepers close early. Children get dire warnings about being good or else. After seasons pass and the troublemaker seems to have vanished, a kindhearted stranger appears and sets about fixing things around town. It's the outlaw, but has he changed for good? Nobody knows. Vo's evocative mixed-media images are the highlight of this book, with a note explaining that they incorporate newspaper clippings and fabric patterns from the 1850s and 60s. These are superimposed upon ink and watercolor paintings, with most of the artwork in black, gray, and white and the odd muted color found in the townspeople's clothes. The story is striking too, the lonely, mysterious stranger motif reminiscent of Shaun Tan's The Arrival. Vo's ending puts faith in a child's sense of justice and redemption. VERDICT Thoughtful readers are the audience for this stunning book, which will generate questions and conversation once the gorgeously created work is done.-Henrietta Verma, Credo Reference, Jackson Heights, NY

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2018
A picture book about making amends. In an unspoken time and place, but most likely the Old West, an Outlaw has terrorized a small town with a series of unspoken transgressions. When readers join the story, however, the Outlaw has disappeared, and the town has resumed its sleepy life. After a time, a stranger rides into town and begins a series of charitable acts. As the stranger repairs the town's train platform, he's recognized as the Outlaw. While some shun him, others acknowledge that he's atoning for his past misdeeds by helping the community. His past crimes are never addressed, however. The attempted message of redemption through selfless acts is noble, but the story is too superficial to support the abstract moral. Vo's artwork, a mixture of ink, watercolor, and newsprint transfer, is attractive but works against the story; the tone of the art is cool and rigid, while the words tell of a hot town and a population whose emotions are fiery. The seeming whiteness of the community also hampers the storytelling, as the Old West was far from this monochromatic vision.Keep this pony in the stable, y'all. (Picture book. 4-8)

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March 1, 2018
Grades 1-3 This eerie picture book spins a fablelike yarn about a feared outlaw who terrorizes a small town, disappears for a while, and then comes back to make amends. Once he's recognized, the outlaw is not exactly welcomed back, and a few townspeople begin to harass him. One small boy comes to his defense, observing, Leave him alone! He's trying. The black-and-white illustrations with occasional hints of muted blues and yellows complement the spare text, which generally moves the action forward through one-line sentences or no words at all. No details, such as the location of the town or the names of any characters, are provided, but no details are needed to reinforce the message on the final page: And maybe that was what mattered in the end. Perhaps a little too bleak for preschool or kindergarten, this affecting story will quiet audiences, prompt a few questions, and probably start some interesting conversations.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)