Publishers Weekly Review
Otoshi (Beautiful Hands) uses a simple charcoal line to tell a tale of conflict and resolution. Two boys-one with light skin and dark hair, the other with dark skin and light hair-discover that the lines they're drawing on the ground can be picked up like rope. The urge to tease overtakes them, then the desire to hurt back. Soon they're tugging on opposite ends of the line (and on either side of a spread) as a chasm opens between them. But the chasm is an illusion: when one boy, idly experimenting, finds a way to close it, the two reconcile in a moment of warm spontaneity. Otoshi's slightly wooden figures act and move against a backdrop of empty white-the story could be happening anywhere. The pages are lit with splashes of golden yellow when things are going well, shifting to purple when the strife intensifies. The action is clear and, because the story is wordless, understandable to very young children. Otoshi suggests that if those in conflict stay open to the possibilities, resolution can be found in unexpected places. Ages 3-6. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. |
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Two boys have their backs to each other as they draw lines on the ground. When they run into each other, they decide to join their lines. One boy picks up the line, which has turned into a string, and starts playing with it. The other boy thinks this is funny-until the string gets caught around him and yanks him off his feet. Then he is angry, especially since the other boy laughs. He gets up and deliberately tugs on the string, yanking the laughing boy off his feet. The string starts to fray as the conflict between them escalates. As the boys yank back and forth on the string, the fraying part gets bigger and bigger until a chasm has opened up between them and the string has hardened. The boys yell at each other for a minute and pout, which causes the space to get even bigger. Eventually, the antagonists calm down, and one boy decides to let go of his anger. He walks back toward the narrower end of the abyss and the other boy follows. He kneels down and draws a bridge over the narrowest part of the cleft, which leads the other boy to kneel down; soon, the children are working together to close the distance. This wordless book uses symbolism to beautifully illustrate the damage that conflict can cause. The growing chasm, along with the mixed colors that clearly capture the boys' feelings (yellow for happy, purple for unhappy) as they fluctuate, is striking. VERDICT This beautiful analogy of conflict resolution is a must-have for all libraries.-Heidi Grange, Summit Elementary School, Smithfield, UT © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. |