Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Sitting in a barber's chair, a child notices a portrait and framed articles on the wall, and asks "Who's that?" The barber's explanation takes readers back to an aviation-obsessed Paris "not far from here," where a tailor named Pierre creates a coat with wings so that he can fly "as the first human bird." Drawn by his announcement that he'll sail safely off the top of the Eiffel Tower, a crowd gathers--and watches him fall to his death. "But why didn't anyone stop Pierre?" the child asks the barber. "Who knows?" is the reply. Inspired by the real-life figure of Franz Reichelt (1878--1912), Kjølstadmyr's story is dismaying, provocative--and moving. Torseter riffs on the reportorial narrative with fluidly inked sketches that portray Pierre as humanoid with the tusks and spindly trunk of an elephant. But beyond the telling, the creators leave only more unanswered questions: Where is the line between a dream and reality? When does one become complicit in another's folly? How inscrutable is the human heart? Ages 8--up. (Oct.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1--A book about death for young children, without the usual solemnity of the topic. Pierre, a successful French tailor, has a dream of flying. He longs to be a human bird and, using all his skills, sews himself a bird coat. On a beautiful Parisian morning, after a good breakfast of croissants, he climbs to the top of the Eiffel Tower and leaps into the air. His friends watch as he plunges to the earth. His dearest friend, the barber next door to his shop, recounts the story to a young customer who asks why no one stopped him from such a foolish action. The barber has no answer. But the tailor's portrait hangs in the barbershop. Cartoonlike illustrations bring lightness to this story of death, life, and dreams, and of the grief beyond which life must go on. Based on an actual 1912 incident, this is a work about death, but without pathos or pity. In an afterword, the author explains his desire to write about this difficult topic for children (and adults) without darkness, but to show that it is part of life. Recommended for use when teaching or explaining death to young children. VERDICT For its very unique take on the subject of death and carrying on despite it, this is a beautiful addition to the shelves on grief and coping with loss. Recommended.--Eva Elisabeth VonAncken
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
What are the stories we tell children? Upon visiting a barber, a Parisian child notices the portrait of an unusual man in an unusual coat. The man has an elephant's nose and tusks, but this is the least strange thing about him, it seems. While cutting the child's hair, the barber explains that the pictured gent is a tailor named Pierre. Though Pierre was a skilled tailor, he longed to fly, and while a few people at the time had attempted to do so, no one had ever succeeded. Pierre's plans were different; Pierre would become a bird. To do this, Pierre sewed a coat of wings. Upon completing it, he called all the newspapers and gathered a crowd to watch him fly from the top of the Eiffel Tower. The day came, and Pierre climbed the tower, hugged his barber friend, jumped, and fell to his death. And life went on. This Norwegian import is an odd tale but an atmospheric one. And for that niche group of readers who check out Edward Gorey books for their sense of foreboding and dry-as-the-desert wit, this will be a welcome addition. Part caricature, part Tomi Ungerer, the illustrations are refreshingly different from most picture books today. It's a strange story, but strange things can be good. Characters have skin the color of the page. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Offbeat but excellent--sure to stay with readers and provoke conversation. (author's note) (Picture book. 6-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
