Yard Sale, written by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Lauren Castillo. A sense of heartbreak (and then hope) hangs over this heartfelt, sensitive look at a family having to sell off some belongings before moving from their house to a small apartment. The great and prolific Bunting tells the story from the first person perspective of a young girl, filled with confusion and sadness about the upcoming move. When we first see her, she is helping her father attach balloons to the Yard Sale sign. The title page follows, and in a haunting touch, we see that one of the balloons has become detached, floating through the air. The tremendously gifted Castillo, working with ink and watercolors, then gives a full-page, cinematic spread of the girl sitting alone on her porch, looking at her family's belongings spread out over the yard. Bunting and Castillo don't sugarcoat things and give us a rosy "this is fun" uplifting view of this sale. The family members look very sad, resigned as they haggle with business-like customers over objects that mean something to them. More emotional, and quietly devastating moments follow. In Bunting's and Castillo's more than able hands, the family's love for each other shines through, leading to an ending that is hopeful without seeming maudlin. This really creates a mood, making you experience what this girl and her family experience.
2 comments:
I was just thinking about Eve Bunting and her SMOKEY NIGHT for obvious reasons. She is a master at handling sad, difficult situations that most picture book authors avoid. I haven't seen this one yet, but your description tells me she's done a wonderful job -- again.
Sheila, thanks for your comment! Yes, what I like about Bunting at her best is she doesn't sugarcoat situations. This moving book about moving truly captures the pain of the experience, and the hard reality of a loving family experiencing difficult financial times.
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