A Country Far Away

A Country Far Away

Side-by-side pictures reveal the essential similarities between the lives of two boys, one in a western country, one in a rural African village From Publishers Weekly Minimal text--a sentence or two per page--relates the everyday activities in the life of an ordinary boy. But the pictures in this extra ordinary book apply those words to two boys: one living in a rural African village and one in a Western European city. The text divides the pages horizontally: illustrations above and below it reveal two versions of the story through a series of boxed vignettes--Dupasquier's wonderfully appealing specialty. The reader sees both similarities and differences in the two boys' lifestyles; the many humorous elements suggest the universality of human experience. "My cousin came to visit. We stayed up late" is illustrated by pictures above and below in which we see two family reunions. In the African village, family members embrace relatives who arrive by river boat. Everyone sits outside in the balmy tropical night, listening to stories in the light of the campfire, while the cousins slip off to sit by the edge of the moonlit river. Meanwhile, illustrations below this same text show relatives arriving by car and family members embracing. Everyone sits around the television while the cousins use a flashlight to make hand-shadow figures on the bedroom wall. Each boy's life, with its small events (going into town for shopping) and momentous occasions (the birth of a sister) is seen within a loving family, which is in turn a unit of the community. Dupasquier's lively style uses the conventions of the comic strip (segmented drawings that imply action and progression of plot) but achieves true characterization and depth of story. Unique among picture books, A Country Far Away avoids didacticism while joyfully celebrating the kinship of human cultures and young boys children everywhere. Ages 3-6. Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library Journal Grade 1-3-- Told in the first person by two young boys, this story relates their identical experiences--going to school, having a baby sister, shopping, and playing sports--with very different results. The text appears in the middle of the page, and two sets of pictures, above and below, show the same actions in two very different cultures: a small African village and a modern suburban setting that could be almost anywhere in the "developed " world. Although the story is simple, and the cartoon illustrations of the scenes in both worlds are pleasant and colorful but not distinguished, the format makes this an interesting picture book. As a result of Dupasquier's cartoon style, the characters, both black and white, are a bit stereotyped and unappealing. Independent readers will get the most out of this book as the pictures are too small to share with a group, and they are the crux of the story. Children will enjoy finding the similarities and differences for themselves almost like a game. --Rosanne Cerny, Queens Borough Public Library, NYCopyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.