When Jessie Came Across the Sea (Paperback)

~ (Author), P.J. Lynch (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4?This narrative of 13-year-old Jessie's journey from a poor village in Eastern Europe to New York City at the turn of the century affords readers a panoramic view of events and people. The author's exploration of a variety of emotions and feelings provides modern youngsters with a sense of connections with times long past. There is the familial devotion between Jessie and her grandmother, whom she has to leave behind. A shipboard friendship with Lou, a young shoemaker, helps Jessie survive the hardships and uncertainties of the ocean crossing. Her skill as a lacemaker, painstakingly learned from her grandmother, insures her success in the dressmaker's shop where she goes to work. Her romance with Lou is rekindled when they meet years later on a wintry day in Central Park. Jessie's reunion with her grandmother, whose ticket she has purchased with money saved during years of hard work, is the poignant conclusion to this tale. Lynch's luminous watercolor and gouache illustrations capture the characters' feelings, at the same time recording the storms at sea and teeming streets of the Lower East Side. The two young people's spirit of hope and optimism, created by the straightforward text, is enhanced by these pictures, as they provide a visual record of difficulties encountered by the scores of immigrants who reached these shores. This book will be particularly useful for units on immigration and family histories, used in conjunction with Allen Say's Grandfather's Journey (Houghton, 1993) or Jeanette Winter's Klara's New World (Knopf, 1992; o.p.).?Martha Rosen, Edgewood School, Scarsdale, NY
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 2^-4, younger for reading aloud. Jessie and her grandmother live in an Eastern European shtetel where, one day, the Rabbi informs the villagers that his brother has died and left him one ticket to "the promised land." The rabbi feels he cannot leave his people and decides to give the ticket to 13-year-old Jessie. It's almost too much for Jessie and her grandmother to bear, though both believe it is for the best. In America, Jessie follows her grandmother's trade and becomes a dressmaker. She works for three years until she has enough saved to purchase another ticket--for her grandmother. This picture book for older children is handsomely crafted. The pages are thick, and the watercolor-and-gouache paintings that illustrate the story are luminous. Lynch's full-page and paneled art, especially the scenes of Jessie at sea, have a panoramic quality. In some ways, the book's rich look is a problem, because the design, at times, overwhelms a story whose strongest point is its personal feeling. The pictures are striking, but it's the text that conveys the human emotions of loss, hope, and love that children will respond to. Ilene Cooper --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (September 29, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076361274X
• ISBN-13: 978-0763612740
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 9.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #226,304 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Destined to be a childhood favorite, November 5, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: When Jessie Came Across the Sea (Hardcover)

"When Jessie Came Across the Sea" is one of those books that stays with you long after you've read it. My daughters love the story and the illustrations are of a quality rarely seen in books meant for young children. My daughter received this outstanding book as a Xmas present and has shared it with both her first and second grade classes. Her teachers were struck by the sentimental text and both admitted to crying when they read it aloud to their classes. My daughter recently received a request from her first grade teacher regarding the possibility of her bringing it back to school this year so she can share it with her '98-'99 class! This book contains many positive messages for young minds, and I highly recommend it for all parents who wish to add a rare treasure to their childrens' libraries.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Picture Book For History Students Of All Ages, October 22, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: When Jessie Came Across the Sea (Hardcover)

This beautifully illustrated picture book tells the coming-of age story of a young Jewish girl in an eloquent historically-based fashion. Jessie, a poor Jewish girl in a land far away, lives with her grandmother in a small village. A letter is sent to the Rabbi of the village asking that he come to America. Feeling that he must stay with his people, the Rabbi sends Jessie as his representative. Young Jessie journeys to America and, over the next three years, writes her grandmother who still lives in the village to tell her of her many adventures.
The illustrations in this book, done in watercolor and guache, are so very realistic that even the most minute details ae brought to life. The text and the pictures form a cohesive partnership, even down to the placement of the text on the page and the font chosen as Jessie writes to her grandmother. While the beginning maintains the natural flow of a hallmark picture book, the text can, at times, jump from one setting to the next in one page turn with only a statement like "weeks pass" and "three years later". This leaves the readers to account in their own minds for the missing time when the timeline of the pictures and story is so crucial to the plot line. However, the undeniably impressive spirit of the illustrations definitely makes up for the somewhat jaunty feel of the text.
This book may be used with primary and intermediate grades in American History units involving discussions of emigration to the United States. Considering that this book holds and endorsement from the Jewish Museum of New York City for its historical authenticity, it may also be used in units that discuss the cultural diversity of the United States.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful, touching story, December 30, 2002

By	Lynda Preston (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When Jessie Came Across the Sea (Hardcover)

Even though it breaks her heart to be separated from her beloved grandmother, Jessie leaves her small town when she is offered a trip to America. She vividly describes the wonder of living in the new world and finding a new love. She works hard and uses her sewing skills to save toward purchasing a ticket for her grandmother.

This 1998 Kate Greenaway award winner uses lush paintings to portray a realistic setting of the story. The illustrations complement the story, but they are so beautiful that they almost overwhelm the story.

I enjoyed this beautiful story and its beautiful illustrations. Though at times heartbreaking, the story of Jessie and her trip across the sea to America is very inspirational.