Trash in the hall! Loud music! Nothing is right with Eddie’s neighbors. Everyone in the Peaceable Building is fighting. And they are blaming Eddie. “Are you the kid who bangs the ball on my wall?” growls Mrs. 4.
How can Eddie help his neighbors to get along?
The ingenious way that Eddie brings everyone together surprises them all.
With his signature art style, author D. B. Johnson portrays the busy life of tenants in an apartment building. In Eddie, he creates an unlikely hero, a child who puts everything into perspective for his neighbors with a little help from his talent and pencil.
With the publication of his first illustrated children's book, Henry Hikes to Fitchburg, D.B. Johnson made a distinct mark in the world of children's literature. In addition to the praise he has earned for his original picture-book stories, Johnson has also contributed his art to stories by authors such as Linda Michelin (Zuzu's Wishing Cake) and Daniel Pinkwater (Bear's Picture, 2008). Booklist, in a starred review, cites his "fabulous mixed media illustrations...that add both angular dimension and a right wry touch to (Pinkwater's) simple story." While book illustration is a relatively recent undertaking for Johnson, publication is not: he is a nationally recognized freelance illustrator whose work has appeared in the pages of such well-known publications as the New York Times Book Review, Newsday, and the Washington Post. In addition, Johnson's editorial art began appearing in syndication in the 1980s.
In the picture book Henry Hikes to Fitchburg Johnson introduces one of his most endearing characters: Henry the bear. Henry is based on Henry David Thoreau, a nineteenth-century writer and philosopher who advocated a simple way of life, unencumbered by material possessions. In Henry Hikes to Fitchburg, Henry and one of his bear friends plot two different itineraries as they travel from Concord to Fitchburg, Massachusetts, hoping to see who will arrive in Fitchburg first. Underscoring his chosen path through life, Henry takes the slower, scenic route and enjoys the natural surroundings of his journey. His friend prefers to work at different odd jobs, earning enough money to take the train to the destination. As Johnson's story plays out, readers count Henry's miles and add up his friend's wages. School Library Journal, noted that "Johnson makes this philosophical musing accessible to children, who will recognize a structural parallel to `The Tortoise and the Hare,'" and a Horn Book critic dubbed Henry Hikes to Fitchburg "an auspicious picture book debut."
Winner of several prestigious awards, Henry Hikes to Fitchburg "works on several levels," according to Booklist. "Johnson's adaptation of a paragraph taken from Thoreau's Walden ... illuminates the contrast between materialistic and naturalistic views of life without ranting or preaching." As Johnson stated in a Publishers Weekly interview, "We don't know if this actually happened [to Thoreau]," referring to the Fitchburg challenge. "But I wondered what would happen if it really took place, and I wanted to write it in a way that children could understand." Although Thoreau's famous book Walden "inspired the story," as the author/illustrator added, "it's not necessary that readers be familiar with Thoreau to `get it.'" In addition to his "Henry" books, Johnson has also created several other characters that have engaged young readers. In Eddie's Kingdom a young artist (inspired by the Quaker folk painter, Edward Hicks) wishes for an end to all the arguments he hears from the tenants sharing his apartment building. Eddie draws a picture that includes all his curmudgeonly neighbors in such a way that exposes the foibles at the root of their disagreements. Sharing his picture allows everyone to understand and get along with each other. A Booklist reviewer concluded that Johnson's "engaging story ... recognizes the irritations of living in close proximity and a child's simple wish for harmony." Another original picture book, Four Legs Bad, Two Legs Good!, takes place on a falling-down farm where Farmer Orvie, a pig, spends too much time napping to keep things in proper order." With simplicity and humor, Johnson adds a lively new chapter to George Orwell's classic, Animal Farm. D. B. Johnson's goal with each of his picture books is to draw children to the complex ideas in great works of literature and art. In a starred review of his newest Henry book, Kirkus wrote: "From Henry Hikes to Fitchburg (2000) on, Johnson has surpassed all conventional biographers in presenting Thoreau's philosophy and spirit in ways that will make sense to younger readers." Henry's Night is ..."a great bedtime read, as mysterious and thought-provoking as a zen koan."
Eddie is a budding young artist, and he decides to practice his craft by drawing his neighbors. As he visits each apartment, he gets to know a little bit about the people in his building, and they get to know a little bit about him. When he finally reveals his finished work to the group, they discover more about themselves and about each other. You have to admire a kid with peace signs on his sneakers! A great lesson in communication, perception, diversity, tolerance, youthful innocence, and the power of the pencil.
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D.B. Johnson's (of HENRY HIKES TO FITCHBURG fame) first "urban" title, and it's fantastic.
One of the biggest questions of today is HOW CAN WE JUSTIFY BEING ARTISTS? Is making art indulgent? What if my kid wants to be an artist? What's the deep relevance of making art?
This book answers this in a most entertaining way, and with pictures that demonstrate Johnson's authority.
In beautiful line-art (the only one of Johnson's in this style) and heavenly colors, a little boy named Eddie resolves the conflicts of his neighbors at the same time he'll set many parents' minds at ease.
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