Wall

K-Gr 3—In this debut picture book, Cole explores the serious theme of family separation. This title follows a young boy's struggle to reunite his family when his father is stuck on the other side of the Berlin Wall. Based on true stories, it depicts the family struggles and situation through the eyes of a child. Although trapped with his mother and sister in the East, he is heroic in his determination to find a way to reunite his family. Cole successfully uses his broad strokes of bold color to define the differences between the east and west sides of the wall. Dark tones are representative of the dismal repression of the East, while brighter colors define the freedom of the West—the place where the family will join together once more. Published to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the tearing down of the wall, this story appeals to children's natural instinct for fairness and justice. It could be paired with Jacqueline Woodson's The Other Side (Putnam, 2001) to compare and contrast it with the struggle for civil rights here in the United States. For a wider world view, another choice might be Sami and the Time of Troubles (Clarion, 1992) by Florence Heide, about a child growing up in war-torn Lebanon. However used, this powerful story of family, torn apart and reunited, allows children access to an important historical event by combining strikingly bold illustrations with a carefully worded text that engages and informs. A recommended addition to any library but especially those with elementary grade patrons.—Carole Phillips, Greenacres Elementary School, Scarsdale, NY