《学校图书馆杂志》(School Library Journal)书评
Gr 4 Up-- A multilayered slice of life on the British home front during World War II from a man who grew up along the Suffolk coast only 90 miles from German airfields. Foreman's recollections are sharp and graphic, as he poignantly recalls the servicemen who crowded into his mother's shop, grateful for her welcoming cup of tea and a place to chat. He has vivid memories, too, of off-limits barricaded beaches, barrage balloons, attacks by German planes and V1s and V2s, and of the Yanks arriving. He also recalls many boyhood pleasures such as smoking weeds, listening to old men's tales, and stealing apples. The account is anecdotal, a series of unconnected episodes and not always in strict chronological order. It is somewhat reminiscent of the film ``Hope and Glory,'' John Boorman's recollections of growing up in war-torn London. Although the print is small, the book design is enticing. There are facsimiles of cigarette cards that provide gas mask procedures, diagrams of aircraft designs, and copies of evacuation notices, all of which add to the book's authenticity. And, of course, there are Foreman's numerous watercolors that depict stalwart young men preparing to defend their country and the townspeople who provide comfort and support. Skies blaze from fire bombs, but there are glimpses of homey pleasures as well. The book is not intended as a classroom resource; rather, it is a personal and moving memoir. --Phyllis G. Sidorsky, National Cathedral School, Washington, DC (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
出版社周刊评论
Foreman, a much-lauded watercolor illustrator, has put together a book of reminiscence. Set in Suffolk during World War II, when Foreman was very young, the stories meander among small, intriguing details. Bomb shelters, local characters and sweetshop treats are remembered and enlivened with beautiful, evocative illustrations. Foreman's sketches and full-color watercolors are sprinkled across the wide format, while reproductions of airplane specifications and other period details keep this from looking like just another picture book. Similar to Roald Dahl's autobiographical Boy and Going Solo, the book combines pictures and quirky, sometimes dark memories in a not-strictly chronological fashion. Like Dahl's stories, however, Foreman's memoirs charm and amuse while giving a close and personal view of the war. Altogether, this is an unusual and enjoyable book whose audience, while nonspecific, spans age groups and interests. All ages. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
《儿童读物杂志》(Horn Book)书评
A collection of vignettes of the artist's childhood during World War II carries total conviction and the true stamp of experience undergone. From HORN BOOK 1990, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus评论
Opening with a startling attention grabber--being awakened by an incendiary bomb that bounces between his bed and his mother's before it's deflected into the grate to explode up the chimney--Foreman reminisces about his WW II experiences on the Suffolk coast, just across the Channel from the enemy. Born in 1938, he was a toddler (as pictured in an endearing title-page photo) when the war began. His widowed mother kept a village shop frequented by the military; after a halfhearted attempt to send his brother to a safer place, she kept the family together. Foreman describes both daily life and extraordinary wartime incidents in fascinating detail, complementing his understated text with splendidly evocative watercolors and drawings. The fiery glow of the village church burning against a night sky; a little old lady on a bicycle sharing the street with a tank; rampant blooms amid rabble, grown from seeds displaced by bombing; childish high jinks and anxious races to shelters; flat, watery farmland, green and peaceful in the sun--each is rendered with insight and skill. Like Bill Poet's autobiography (1989, Caldecott Honor Book): a perfect blend of the verbal and pictorial to appeal to a wide age range. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.