《学校图书馆杂志》(School Library Journal)书评
Gr 4-6Most of the book is written from the point of view of Elena, a Ukrainian girl of 12 who is grateful for her treatment at Tarara, a Cuban medical camp for children whose illnesses are attributed to the radiation released during and after the Chernobyl accident 10 years ago. Many of these youngsters have tumors or suffer from leukemia; others are there to build up their immune systems. Elena may seem a bit too idealized for some readers, but her story is heartwarming and at times poignant. The same can be said about the accompanying photographs of other children, ranging from sick youngsters undergoing treatment to those well on in the healing process who are able to bicycle and romp in the ocean. Although references are made to long hospital stays, surgery, chemotherapy, and even to one death, the book gives only minimal explanations of medical care for cancer patients. Chemotherapy, for example, is simply described as taking very strong medicine. The main goal of the author, it seems, is to convey the generosity of the Cubans, which is indeed to be commended. Hosting 13,000 children since 1990 is an impressive feat for a country undergoing severe economic difficulties. However, the implication in the preface and afterword that only two countries (Cuba and Israel) responded when the Soviet Union asked for help is not correct. In fact, many countries have treated Chernobyl's victims and sent assistance to the Ukraine.Elizabeth Talbot, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
《儿童读物杂志》(Horn Book)书评
Told in the first person voice of a twelve-year-old girl, the text describes how young victims of the fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear accident are receiving medical treatment in Cuba. Though engaging and crisp, the color photographs often have little to do with the text. The authors use the story of these sick children to agitate for a removal of the U.S. embargo of Cuba, putting an overtly political spin on the book. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
《书目》(Booklist)书评
Gr. 3^-6. The narrator of this poignant photo-essay about child victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster is 12-year-old Elena, who also relates the story of 11-year-old Lubo. Both were infants at the time of the accident; both later developed tumors and went to Cuba to receive medical attention. Perhaps because this is a book for children, the authors devote more attention to the fun the kids have recuperating in the resort town of Tarara than to the medical treatments they receive. Although the organization could be better, it is hard to imagine any young reader not being moved by these stories. The authors make politics accessible through their discussions of the Soviet Union's failure to notify citizens immediately about the meltdown as well as of the impact of the U.S. embargo of Cuba. Team this with Toshi Maruki's Hiroshima No Pika (1980), which also presents the tragic consequences of nuclear power unleashed. --Julie Corsaro