Review by New York Times Review
IF you believe that books set in your neighborhood will somehow help your child love to read, then you would be lucky these days to be a parent in Brooklyn. Books for children by Brooklyn authors now match the similarly numberless books by Brooklyn-based authors for grown-ups. And into this crowded field comes John Rocco's "Blackout," apparently set in Dumbo or another nearby locale that includes the Brooklyn Bridge in its deep space. "Blackout," as the title suggests, concerns a young boy whose classically nuclear family is busy with other stuff, at least until the sudden failure of the electrical grid. Remember: the quintessential New York City blackout of 1977 featured a lot of looting and disorderly conduct. Rocco's blackout seems to concern a lightly fictionalized version of the blackout of 2003. In this friendlier crisis, much of New York City (and, presumably, the rest of the Northeast) spread into the streets to relax, and was rewarded by restaurants intent on giving away what might otherwise go bad. The 2003 blackout started at 4:11 in the afternoon, which would make impossible the beautiful and nearly monochromatic tonalities of Rocco's nighttime illustrations (rarely has a children's book featured so much unalloyed navy and black). Into the dramatic darkness, the unnamed protagonist and his family head up to the roof, where for once the stars are visible. "Blackout" is about the restoration of a sense of community, not only within a family but in the larger context of a neighborhood. Once power is restored, our protagonist lobbies to turn off the lights electively, in order to preserve and continue with the experience of being together. Rocco's parable of life off the grid is warm and sweet; my own daughter liked it a great deal despite being a little scared of the dark. My one minor criticism is that the airbrushed, stylish pages resemble a graphic novel more than a conventional picture book. Graphic novel visual syntax - the panels, the labels, the bubbles of text - assumes a visual fluency not all children will have. But this is a quibble. An argument for turning off devices and spending more time with people (even if by candlelight), and for making an effort to gaze at a clearer night sky are fine suggestions, which kids will greet with their elastic capacity for wonder. Even if they're Brooklyn kids, used to thinking that all the books in the world are about their home. Rick Moody's most recent novel is "The Four Fingers of Death."
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [June 5, 2011]
Review by Booklist Review
It's a scenario many kids are probably all too familiar with: a young boy wants to play, but older sis is gabbing on the phone, Mom is busy on the computer, and Dad is making dinner. When the power goes out, however, the family comes together to make shadow puppets on the wall, join the neighbors on the roof to admire the stars, and even head out front to the most idyllic city street you'll ever see. All good things come to an end, though. The power comes back on, and everyone immediately slips back into walled-off family units though the walls are a bit weaker now. Compositionally, this picture book bears a strong resemblance to Maurice Sendak's In the Night Kitchen (1970), breaking some of the pages into comics-style panels and running a boxed narrative up top. Rocco's lustrous, animation-quality artwork somehow manages to get richer the darker it gets, and features one of the silkiest skies sinc. Van Gogh's Starry Night. A versatile reminder to take a break and invest in quality together time once in a while.--Chipman, Ia. Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Rocco's sublime account of a city blackout reveals a bittersweet truth: it sometimes takes a crisis to bring a family together. In a series of graphic novel-style panels, a small child tries to convince family members to play a board game one hot summer night, but they're all too busy. When the lights go out, though, the neighborhood comes alive and the whole family drifts up to the roof to look at the stars: "It was a block party in the sky." Rocco (Fu Finds the Way) gets everything right: the father's pained, sheepish smile when he says he has no time to play; the velvety dark and glowing candlelight of the blackout (as well as the sense of magic that can accompany one); and the final solution to the problem of a too-busy family (a private blackout, courtesy of a light switch). The high-energy visuals that characterize Rocco's other work get dialed back a little. In the most poignant spread, the family sits on the stoop, eating ice cream: "And no one was busy at all." It's a rare event these days. Ages 4-8. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-On a summer night in the city, the youngest member of a family finds that everyone is too busy to play with him. But when the lights go out, and everything shuts down, suddenly there's time for games and impromptu street and rooftop parties. Luminous, fluid artwork, filled with visual gags that extend the charming story, glows with warmth and humor. (July) (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
One summer night, when there's a blackout in the city, a family abandons its electrical gadgets and spends time together, venturing outside to join a spontaneous neighborhood party. After the electricity comes back on, everyone decides to ignore it and play a board game instead. The comic strip format enhances the spare text, while the illustrations are dramatically illuminated by candles and flashlights. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
"It started out as a normal summer night"until the lights go out, citywide.When it gets "too hot and sticky" inside their apartment (no fans or AC tonight), one busy family (mom, dad, two girls and a black cat) heads to the rooftop of their building, where they find light via stars and a block party "in the sky." Other parties are happening down on the street, too. When the lights come back on, everything returns to normal, except for this family, which continues to enjoy the dark. The plot line, conveyed with just a few sentences, is simple enough, but the dramatic illustrations illuminate the story. Beginning with the intriguing coverthe silhouetted family on their rooftop under a vast, dark-blue sky dotted with Starry Nighttype swirls, black is used as both a backdrop and a highlighter. Page composition effectively intermingles boxed pages and panels with double-page spreads, generating action. Brilliantly designed, with comic bits such as a portrait of Edison on a wall and the cat running from a hand shadow of a dog.Not all young readers will have experienced a blackout, but this engaging snapshot could easily have them wishing for one. (Picture book. 5-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
