crystal_reading's review against another edition
2.0
Review copy: provided by publisher
The Berlin Wall is certainly an interesting topic for a children's book. It didn't seem very likely for things to work out the way they did though. Also, as others have said, the dark text on a dark background was difficult to read.
The book could have used a little more context for readers unfamiliar with the history around Berlin.
The Berlin Wall is certainly an interesting topic for a children's book. It didn't seem very likely for things to work out the way they did though. Also, as others have said, the dark text on a dark background was difficult to read.
The book could have used a little more context for readers unfamiliar with the history around Berlin.
bea_666's review against another edition
2.0
A older children's picture book commemorating 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Some really beautiful images with gorgeous dark colours, and a hopeful story line. Ultimately, the book fails to give any context to the Berlin Wall, which I feel renders the story a bit useless. Yes, it celebrates the determination of families affected by the Berlin Wall, but it also paints an image of the armed guards as sympathetic to the Germans, which we know generally they weren't. This pretty book could do so much more.
nicktomjoe's review against another edition
4.0
A neat little story of divided cities and families with a good rhythm and strong design, with a gentle twist at the end.
mat_tobin's review against another edition
3.0
A celebration of the dismantling of the Berlin Wall, this is Cole's debut into picturebooks and he is well aware of the interplay between text and image. He also makes the most of drama, position and perspective to affect mood and a sense of tension.
When a family is divided by the wall, both father and son try their best to find a way to defy the rules governed by law and find a way to each other. There is something admirable and courageous in the boy's ceaseless desire to find his father.
There are some powerful moments here and Cole's use of silhouette and colour draws out the dramatic on numerous occasions but I was looking for more attachment to the family and, oddly, I don't know if the characters' eyes can do that.
When a family is divided by the wall, both father and son try their best to find a way to defy the rules governed by law and find a way to each other. There is something admirable and courageous in the boy's ceaseless desire to find his father.
There are some powerful moments here and Cole's use of silhouette and colour draws out the dramatic on numerous occasions but I was looking for more attachment to the family and, oddly, I don't know if the characters' eyes can do that.
fongolia's review against another edition
2.0
Beautiful artwork, but strangely at odds with the subject matter. A little too cheery with an hard to believe happy ending. Maybe because I recently watched Bridge of Spies where people were being shot as they tried to climb over the wall, but it seemed implausible that the soldier just lets the family go with a wink and a smile, while holding their hands as he lowers them into the escape tunnel. If that part is legitimately inspired by a true story, some more historical background in an afterward would help.
heisereads's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the illustrations and the idea behind this story dealing with a time/place not often seen in picture books, but the way the conflict was resolved in the end felt a little too easy to me, and it made me question how realistic it woukd really be.
joshua_shaw's review against another edition
3.0
The story is fine, but the art is where this book shines.
antlersantlers's review against another edition
"Wall" by Tom Clohosy Cole is a beautiful poignant book about the Berlin wall. While definitely a picture book and a work of imaginative fiction, this would make a really good book to discuss with upper elementary/middle grade readers. This could definitely be an entry point for a text set about the Berlin Wall, the Cold War, or the Eastern Bloc.
corncobwebs's review against another edition
Stunning. Frames the Berlin Wall in an accessible way that even young children can understand.