Customer Reviews

Sleeping Boy

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is a modern retelling of Sleeping Beauty with an emphasis on the power of family to help a boy through a terrible time. It is best suited for a mature, inquisitive child. War is a reality that parents should not shy away from talking about to their children.

Note: This book may be too frightening for certain children. However, I think most children will be fine.

This is an excellent picture book, set in Berlin from a time slightly before WWII to the time that the Berlin Wall fell.

Every once in awhile, amazing, complex and believable characters are born - Annie Shannon is one of those characters. Most women can relate to her on some level. A real woman with regrets, who doesn't have to be beautiful, rich or famous to be a central character in a book. I hope she will be a recurring character and that this wonderful new author will bring her back into our lives again and again.

Stewart tells a gripping tale that hooked me from the first page to the very last. You get to know Stewart's characters so well that you visualize them clearly without having to be told what they're wearing that day or how they style their hair. She captures the essence of their personalities and makes them so believable that the reader buys into their motivations within the unfolding plot. The plot that unfolds is full of twists and turns keeping the reader guessing to the very last page. A remarkable accomplishment!!

I highly recommend this new book - a compelling read. I hope we'll see much more from Barbara J. Stewart.

Many people may disagree with me, but I think this book is not suitable for children. The images are taunting and very nicely rendered, however, there are some strong hidden meanings within them. Such as the imagery of soldier and violent, and especially the general's black leather glove (maybe symbolic to the idea of totalism?).
What interest me the most is the climax of the story; when the boy and his family falls into sleep, and they wake up when peace finally arrives to the country. I want to know why that symbolizes in the story, what is the author trying to describe or proof to the reader?
I think this is a book quite dangerous for parents to read for their kids at bedtime, unless you go further in describing them the history and cross-meanings of the book--perhaps that is complete package of the book, and what the author want every parent or teacher to do.

Although the images are very well rendered, they arefrightening. I am baffled about the impression this book is supposedto leave on children. This book may be picked up on the thought that it is a retold fairy tale, when it is an abstract and grim retelling of the horrors of WWII in Berlin. The most horrifying image is that of Major Kreig's big black gloves enveloping the body of the little boy. This book is NOT appropriate for younger readers. I can see how this book might be valuable for an alternative look at the war for middle schoolers or higher.