The Printer [Paperback]

Myron Uhlberg (Author), Henri Sorensen (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Each day, a young boy watches as his father goes off to work in a noisy printing factory. But the boy s father only hears the machines loud pounding and rumbling as vibrations through the soles of his shoes; he is deaf. Although his father communicates with a few other deaf printers through his hands, he feels largely cut off from and ignored by his hearing co-workers. Then when a silent deadly fire erupts in the noisy pressroom, it is up to the father to save his fellow workers. But how will he tell them of the danger when they cannot hear him?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4-A unique tale of a quiet kind of heroism-literally and figuratively. A young boy tells the story of his deaf father who loved working as a printer for a major newspaper but was saddened by the fact that his hearing coworkers ignored him because he couldn't talk. When a fire erupts in the noisy pressroom, he and his deaf colleagues use their hands to signal the danger to their hearing cohorts, and everyone escapes the inferno. When the plant reopens, the grateful men express their thanks in sign language and crown their savior with a four-cornered hat made from the freshly printed newspaper. Based on the author's own father, the hero is an unassuming man who tries to do his work to the best of his ability. The simplicity of the story gives the text its drama, and its message of caring for one's fellow humans is powerful. An endnote provides details about the printing industry of the 1940s and the role that deaf workers played in newspaper production. Sírensen's realistic oil paintings complement the serious mood of the text. Although some of the facial expressions lack intensity, the artwork does a good job of conveying the action. Use this title for classroom discussions focusing on labor history, handicaps, or moral values.
Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. In a story set in New York City in 1940, a young boy talks about his deaf father, who loves his job as a printer with a big daily newspaper, where the thundering noise of the giant presses is merely a vibration that Dad feels through the soles of his shoes. Dad and the other deaf workers feel isolated from their hearing colleagues, until one day Dad discovers a deadly fire in the factory and uses sign language to warn everyone. The fictionalized drama is not entirely convincing. Why does it take so long for other workers to notice the flames? It's the endnote about the history of printing, the use of American Sign Language, and Uhlberg's own deaf father, also a printer, that is most interesting. Like Sorenson's art for Carmen Deedy's The Yellow Star (2000), the large, realistic paintings are enthralling, showing close up both the strong men at work with the pounding machinery and the boy's bond with his brave, gentle father. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Peachtree Publishers (March 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561454834
• ISBN-13: 978-1561454839
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,706,070 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Printer, January 18, 2007

By 

Katie Bee "Katie" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Printer (Hardcover)

A nice story about a deaf father and a hearing son, but I was disappointed that the story is not true. Since the father and son are 'real', I would have preferred a real-life story from thier experiences. You don't have to save people from a fire to be a hero in your son's eyes.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting history; touching story, March 5, 2005

By 

Mom Bo1 "Nancy" (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Printer (Hardcover)

In "The Printer," Myron Uhlberg pays tribute to his deaf father who worked as a newspaper printer during the Depression era. The story portrays Myron's pride in his father while showing the discrimination deaf people faced during that time (and, at least to some degree, still do today). The printer shows that deaf people are not second-class citizens, and in fact, the hearing co-workers end up owing their lives to the deaf workers and their use of sign language. A fabulous book from a wonderful man!