Sister Anne's Hands [Hardcover]

Marybeth Lorbiecki (Author), Wendy Popp (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1998 | Age Level: 4 and up

From the first day of second grade, Sister Anne lights up Anna's classroom. But it's the early 60s and not everyone in Anna's small town is ready to accept Sister. How she deals with this and the profound impact she has on her students is at the heart of a touching, timeless tale about the virtue of tolerance and how a teacher can change a child's life. Marybeth Lorbiecki's universal story -- based on a childhood experience -- is both funny and poignant. Her spare, accessible text, alongside Wendy Popp's sun-drenched pastels, is a moving journey for those who remember the 60s and those who don't. Marybeth Lorbiecki also wrote two other books for Dial, Just One Flick of a Finger, a Chicago Tribune Best Book of the Year, and My Palace of Leaves in Sarajevo. K. Wendy Popp illustrated two previous picture books. Reviewers have said her work is "fabulous" (USA Today), with "an other-worldly quality" (Booklist). Marybeth Lorbiecki lives in Hudson, Wisconsin. K. Wendy Popp lives in Larchmont, New York.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An African American nun challenges the beliefs of her second-grade students in this thought-provoking picture book set in the 1960s. When Sister Anne joins the faculty at the local Catholic school, Anna overhears her father whisper, "I don't know how a woman of her color is going to survive," and Anna wonders what she'll be like. On the first day of class, Sister Anne demonstrates her fun and unusual approaches to counting and storytelling. But the good times are brought to a halt when a note about Sister Anne's skin color lands on her desk. The teacher tells the class that she needs "some quiet time to think about this," and next day she finds a way to educate the children about racism. Lorbiecki (Just One Flick of a Finger) brings ever-relevant social issues into sharp focus through Anna's heartfelt, intimate narration. While the '60s setting is evident in Popp's (Princess Florecita and the Iron Shoes) historically accurate, gauzy pastels, the text's subtle tone and universal message are far-reaching and accessible to contemporary readers. And the warm, softly lit portraits of students at rapt attention as they listen to the serene Sister Anne add to this book's considerable emotional appeal. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3-A gifted and unique African-American teacher is just a little too unique for some of the students and parents in a parochial school in the 1960s. Seven-year-old Anna doesn't understand why her parents are concerned about the problems Sister Anne's color might cause until a paper airplane sails through the classroom with a poem on its wings. The teacher reads the poem aloud: "Roses are red,/Violets are blue./Don't let Sister Anne/get any black on you." Embracing the moment, the woman teaches her students about her heritage. Although a few children are pulled out of the class by their parents, those who stay have an unforgettable year. Based on the author's experience, the story has honesty and integrity and the two main characters are well crafted. The velvety pastel illustrations have the soft focus and pale palette of a distant memory coupled with exquisite detail. Popp's realistic renderings capture the period and are a perfect complement to a thoughtful text. Though ideally suited to introductory units on civil rights, there are many groups and individuals ready to share this gentle reminder.
Jody McCoy, The Bush School, Seattle, WA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Dial; 1st edition (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803720386
• ISBN-13: 978-0803720381
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,197,490 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up in a medium-sized town in the Midwest (Minnesota), and I'd never met an author before. But by junior high, I started trying to write books like the ones I liked to read: historical novels. My writing wasn't great, and I got discouraged.

I rambled through different jobs to help put myself through college, changing majors all the time. I had no idea what I could do with my life! I finally finished as an English major and then became a youth-worker volunteer. More odd jobs. Eventually I went back to school for a master's degree in English and writing, thinking I could teach in a commuity college some day. But in the meantime, I recieved an International Rotarian scholarship and spent a year studying philosophy in England.

Upon my return, I started flipping through the Yellow Pages, doing cold calls trying to find a job in communication. (I figured I could talk and write at least.) And I did talk a woman into giving me a chance at a small marketing communication firm. I wrote there for a few years and met my future husband, who was an art director.

By and by, I got antsy and quit, and managed to get a job with Carolrhoda Books as a children's book editor -- and discovered that I loved kids books and wanted to write them. So I did, starting with the three Earthwise Books as a co-author with Linda Lowery. (My husband, David Mataya, was hired by Carolrhoda to do the illustrations.) I also researched and wrote a biography of the conservationist Aldo Leopold.

In time, I took the leftover historical research and wrote an adult/young adult biography of Leopold called "Aldo Leopold: A Fierce Green Fire," which won awards and helped me find an agent.

When our first child (Nadja)was born in 1993, I decided to work at home as a freelance editor and author. That's been my life -- David and the kids (Nadja, Mirjana, and Dmitri), writing, editing, and teaching others about writing.

I write about what I am passionate about, upset about, curious about, or what amuses me (as well as what other people hire me to investigate and communicate). That's why my books don't fit into one topic or niche. As I get ideas of any kind, I start working on them, and if I stay interested, they might someday become a book. I never know.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An inspired view of the 1960's from a child and a black nun., September 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sister Anne's Hands (Hardcover)

This book made me cry, every time I read it. I remember going to school with "penguins" as teachers, and the horrible bigotry happening in the schools. The pictures are breath-taking, and the words are powerful. I bought it for the parochical school my children go to. If you buy one book for your 3-8 grader, buy this one.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Radiant and Moving Book, March 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sister Anne's Hands (Hardcover)

Sister Anne teaches her young students not only their math and reading, but important lessons in justice, dedication, and love. The text reflects the simple, concrete experiences of a child while suggesting how these experiences gently deepen the young narrator's understanding. The lovely illustrations are slightly muted in tone, appropriately giving the book the look of a memory recalled. Outstanding in every way.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Those teachable moments that change lives!, September 3, 2001

By 

"gritskidz" (Carrollton, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sister Anne's Hands (Picture Puffin Books) (Mass Market Paperback)

If you're looking for a picture book that handles the topic of racism tenderly for young children, then SISTER ANNE'S HANDS is an excellent choice indeed!

Seven-year-old Anna Zabrocky is excited about her first day in the second grade. She is also very curious about her new teacher, Sister Anne, an African-American nun. Anna has never encountered a black person up close and personal before. Therefore, she feels a little uncertain and nervous as she avoids Sister Anne's gentle touch of welcome on the first day of school. Soon all of Anna's apprehensions vanish as her classroom comes alive. Sister Anne's warmth and gentleness engages them in learning new things, sharing wonderful stories and telling hearty jokes. Just when everything feels perfect for the new school year, someone hurls a paper airplane that sails by Sister Anne's head and hits the blackboard. On its wings were written some very hurtful things. Not only did this cruel act bring a great deal of pain to Sister Anne's eyes, but a sense of guilt comes upon Anna as though she had crafted the paper airplane herself. It is how Sister Anne chooses to take this painful moment and turn it into a teachable moment that makes this book so great. By the close of the school year, it is obvious that the strength and courage of this teacher changes the lives of her students forever.

The lyrical movement of the text along with the dream like illustrations of a classroom and library from the 1960's enhances this story that much more. This is truly a beautiful book!