Rebel [Hardcover]

Allan Baillie (Author), Di Wu (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1994

A general and his army flatten a Burmese village's school playground, and the general announces to the unarmed farmers and children that he will now make all the laws, but one young rebel has other ideas. By the author of Little Brother.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Subdued illustrations dampen the inherent drama of this story, based on a real-life incident that occurred in Rangoon. Things look pretty grim for a small Burmese village when a general and his troops march in, flattening the school playground with their tanks and announcing the conditions of the new regime. The general's pomposity is punctured, however, by a small act of rebellion: a child flings a thong from the schoolhouse and bonks him on the head. Enraged, the dictator orders everyone out of the building, thinking to easily nab the one-shoed culprit. The children and their teachers outwit him by appearing barefoot en masse, and the laughter of villagers and soldiers alike causes the general such humiliation that he and his forces retreat. It's a bracing tale of courage in the face of tyranny, and Baillie makes the most of it. Wu is a competent illustrator; his faces in particular are enormously expressive and full of humanity, but a drab palette of khaki, olive and off-white creates a visual blandness. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5-This picture book shows the fear and repression of a society under military rule, and how a symbolic act of rebellion can give hope through laughter and impart strength through unity. When a general and his tanks storm into a Burmese village, they crush all of the playground equipment in the schoolyard. The general gathers the townspeople together and says, "'You are my people now. I have the tanks and the soldiers, and you have nothing.'" Then, a small thong is thrown, knocking off his hat. Enraged, he orders all the children to stand before him. They are, of course, all barefoot when they appear, causing his soldiers to laugh. The story is told economically, with a staccato rhythm that suits the harshness of the situation. Appropriately muted colors, predominantly khaki and dust, are used in the watercolor-and-pencil illustrations. Some of the dramatically composed pictures are laid out in panels, which effectively underlines their meaning. A "David and Goliath" variant with a real ogre, this would work well as a companion piece to the Haitian story in Diane Wolkstein's The Magic Orange Tree (Schocken, 1987), "I'm Tipingee, She's Tipingee, We're Tipingee, Too." While of somewhat limited appeal, this is a thought-provoking book that many libraries will want to consider.
Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 1 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin; First edition. edition (March 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395692504
• ISBN-13: 978-0395692509
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 9.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,281,664 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 Book review on Rebel by Allan Baillie, August 1, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Rebel (Hardcover)

Hello and call me StoryMaker if you wish. Rebel by Allan Baillie is a picture book and a great story...it's got meaning...it's about standing up instead of falling down into a trap set by a powerful person...it's just so meaningful! The pictures made by the illustrator Di Wu are fantastic! I think they're made with watercolors or some other kind of paint. The plot is basically some strange happenings in a Burmese village. Some big tanks and soldiers come, and soon a bossy general comes. He orders all sorts of things, like giving him half of every colletion of things you make. But suddenly, a thong or 'flip-flop' comes zooming towards the general and knocks his hat right off. Well...the general wasn't happy. I'm not going to tell you the rest of the story, you'll just have to read the book yourself. This book has barely a flaw, however it could've been longer. Overall, Rebel is a fantastic, meaningful book that is worth the money. Signed, StoryMaker. "Gotta trust the kid's review!"

5.0 out of 5 stars Rebel is an inspiration!, December 26, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Rebel (Hardcover)

Rebel is an excellent book for children who lack self-confidence or for children who are often bullied at school. It was a source of strength for me, and I am a far cry from a young child. While providing inspiration, Rebel also teaches your child about the history of a different culture; cultural diversity is a must in current education. Baillie has done an excellent job of communicating the strength of perseverance and togetherness in the face of opposition. Diane Wu has provide beautiful illustrations (possibly watercolor) that bring the words of the story to life!