Messenger, Messenger [Hardcover]

Robert Burleigh (Author), Barry Root (Illustrator)

Book Description

Messenger, messenger,
keepin' the groove,
Always, always, on the move.

Morning's come around again, and Calvin Curbhopper, the messenger man, is on the go, zipping around from spot to spot, taking shortcuts through parking lots, steering through the midday blare of honking horns, his breath like a smokestack in the frosty air. Wind, snow, rain, sun, can't keep Calvin from making his run. And Robert Burleigh's rhythmic language keeps the groove right alongside him, further enlivened by Barry Root's energetic illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Burleigh (Flight: The Story of Charles Lindbergh) hits the road with this lively look at a busy day in the life of a big-city bicycle messenger. Just after sunup, Calvin Curbhopper leaves his studio apartment with his yellow bike hoisted onto his shoulder ("Sun, wind, rain, snow,/ Messenger, messenger, gotta go"). By eight a.m., he's made his first delivery and embarked on a frenzied routine of carrying urgent business packages through traffic, tunnels, parking lots and dangerous neighborhoods, even eating his lunch on two wheels. He doesn't slow down until after nightfall, when he rides home, away from the glittering lights ("And then at last it's time to go,/ Calvin Curbhopper, takin' it slow"). The author's spare, rhyming text pedals along at the protagonist's swift pace, giving readers a taste of the messenger's special street rhythms. Root's (Two Cool Cows) dynamic gouaches of a bustling city are further energized by bold patches of sunny yellow paint bathing office buildings, taxicabs and trees. And Calvin's sleek red leggings and helmet are easy to spot as he zags and weaves through crowds of people and clusters of high rises. Ages 5-7. (June)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 5-Burleigh's hip-hop rhyming couplets see a bike messenger through a busy day in a bustling city. "First delivery (eight, no later)/Revolving door and escalator,/Messenger, messenger,/keepin' the groove,/Always, always, on the move." The short text moves quickly and rhythmically, though it falters a couple of times; and is well matched by the illustrations that show a diverse and busy city from many perspectives. Root's full-bleed, double-page gouache spreads have a golden autumn, urban glow, and show Calvin Curbhopper cycling through many different neighborhoods. Questionably, the messenger wears a Walkman while he rides-not only unsafe but illegal. Despite these quibbles, this is a unique and attractive visual and aural perspective of city life that will appeal to a wide age range.
Nina Lindsay, Oakland Public Library, CA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum; 1 edition (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689821034
• ISBN-13: 978-0689821035
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,153,420 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars gotta go!, May 25, 2001

By 

W. K. Miller "kenmiller32" (NC, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Messenger, Messenger (Hardcover)

Robert Burleigh's _Messenger, Messenger_ is an exciting portrait of a bicycle messenger in a big city.

In rhyming poetry, we meet Calvin Curbhopper, a young African-American bicycle messenger, as he moves around a big city making deliveries. He's constantly on the move. It's an exciting look at the bicycle messenger's life!

In our glimpse of Calvin's apartment, I was pleasantly surprised to see that his mattress is on the floor, and his place looks sparsely furnished and more than a little sloppy. He's got a bookshelf full of books, an alarm clock, some music, and not a lot more.

Calvin works hard and enjoys himself, yet he doesn't have a lot of stuff! So few children's books even present a glimpse inside the homes of single adults. It's a minor point, but it's nice to get a look into Calvin's pad, especially because it isn't the 3 bedroom family suburban spread I'm accustomed to seeing in picture books.

The lines in _Messenger, Messenger_ are poetic, and move along with a nice rhythm. It's easy to feel the rhythm of the cyclist as he moves through traffic.

My two year old son loves this book. He likes the rhythm of the story, and now I think, (gasp) that he might want to be a bike messenger when he grows up. So much for engineering and medicine, I guess.

There aren't many picture books which portray the life and lifestyle of the bicycle messenger. My son and I both like this one.

You should take a look at _Messenger, Messenger_.

ken32

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars On the Job, July 20, 2002

By 

Ohioan - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Messenger, Messenger (Hardcover)

I've read all of Robert Burleigh's many fine children's books, and this could be my favorite. Like the bike ridden by messenger man, the text is spare and poetic. Children will love the energy and warmth of the story. They will feel what it's like to be "messenger man," confident in his worth and the importance of his work. The art is perfect, creating and capturing the confidence of Calvin Curbhopper from early morning through late evening.

Children will ask you to read this book again and again -- and you'll love doing so.