Noone's perfect (Midwestern Writers Really Can Write W/O)
Written: Nov 30 '03 (Updated Nov 30 '03)
Product Rating:
Pros: Endearing story, lovely artwork
Cons: a few scary scenes for younger children
The Bottom Line: This book that shows how we're all human with some imperfections, and how knowing that can strengthen your relationship. Also it can help you talk about tornadoes with your children.
artemis8's Full Review: Marsha Diane Arnold - The Bravest of Us All
In an effort to find a great book by a Midwestern author, and knowing that I enjoy reviewing children's books best I headed to my local library. First I checked out Dictionary of Midwestern Literature: The Authors but didn't find a single children's book author listed. So I went back to the library to read some book covers to find a Midwestern author.
Well I am sorry that I have failed to find a Midwestern author. I found this book written by Marsha Diane Arnold, who lives in...California. However, the illustrator, Brad Sneed lives in Prairie Village, Kansas, a location most definitely in the Midwest. And upon asking LoisLane05, the write-off host, I was informed illustrator was good enough. So I've changed my entry a little to Midwestern illustrators for writers really can illustrate w/o.
So now into the review (and I will be telling the entire story). This book is about Velma Jean, the bravest of 7 siblings. She walks barefoot on sandbur patches. She swims in the horse tank where there are supposedly catfish that bite. She even walks through Alfred the Bull's pen when he is in a bad mood, while her brothers and sisters take the long way on the road. Ruby Jane, her younger sister always envied Velma Jean being the bravest of them all. While Velma Jean would be brave, Ruby Jane would help her mother in the kitchen or collect eggs from the chickens in the cellar. Sometimes Ruby Jane would play with pretty buttons in the cellar with her younger sister because it was always cooler down there than outside, but Velma Jean would never join them, because she must have been doing brave things outside. Whenever anyone said that she was brave, Velma Jean's response was always, "I'm the bravest of us all."
Until one day a funnel cloud started forming and the family was all told to go in the storm cellar to be safe from the tornado. Everyone was accounted for except Velma Jean, who was sitting by the horse tank. Ruby Jane ran back out to ask Velma Jean why and the secret came out. Velma Jean thought that the cellar would swallow her up. She was so afraid of the cellar. This shocked her sister and Rudy Jane asked how she could be so brave but afraid of a little hole in the ground. Velma explained that all those things she is brave at she does "in the light of day, on top of the earth where she can see forever." Eventually Ruby Jane convinced Velma Jean to come into the cellar, but after that day she never had to return to the cellar again and she was most pleased with that. But from that day on whenever anyone said that she was brave she admitted she was brave but told them about the day her little sister looked a tornado in the face.
It is a very cute story about how even the people we revere and perhaps envy the most aren't always without some sort of fault. I like the way the sisters respect each other a lot, even more so after the cellar experience. And I loved the way it ended with Velma Jean being proud of her sister and wanting to share it.
The story is written in first person by Ruby Jane and I get the impression she is around 7 years old, with her big sister probably being around 10. The writing throughout the book is geared toward children ages 4-8 with a few bigger/newer words, like sultry. Also there were quite a few words that ended in ', like ol' and standin', throughout the story.
The pictures that accompany the text, and make this book qualify for the write off, are great. They are done in watercolor and give a lot of life to the story. You can tell a little bit from the small picture of the book cover, but the children are very thin and wispy. As they run away from the tornado you can see the winds blowing their dresses. The movement looks mostly natural, and there is a lot of expression seen in their faces. This is seen throughout the book. My favorite scene is of the two girls in the cellar. Velma Jean is holding a warm chicken egg to her cheek for comfort but she looks very scared while Ruby Jane is holding some bright buttons that they can play with. The shadows bounce on the wall from a small gas/oil lamp and it is a powerful image. Not all of the images are quite as strong, but I wouldn't recommend this to children under 4 because the images, and the idea of the tornado, can be a little scary.
Overall I enjoyed this book very much. The fact of it being about a tornado might have more meaning to residents in the Midwest, but I believe any child from 4-8 would enjoy the experiences these two sisters share, although perhaps girls will like this book more than boys, for that reason. The artwork is great and I am quite glad I discovered this book.
Ruby Jane thinks her sister Velma Jean is the bravest person in her family. Yet when a tornado comes, Ruby Jane shows she is brave herself when she dr...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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