The Wall

by Eve Bunting, Ronald Himler (Illustrator)

Overview

This is the wall, my grandfather's wall. On it are the names of those killed in a war, long ago.

"A father and his young son have come to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to find the name of the grandfather the little boy never knew. They share the sadness as well as the pride of having Grandpa's name there. This moving account is beautifully told from a young child's point of view." (The Horn Book, starred review).

"Himler's intense, quiet watercolors capture the dignity of the setting as Bunting's story reaches to the heart of deep emotions. A quiet, respectful exploration." (Booklist)

"Captures the meaning of the memorial to the American people, especially to those who have lost loved ones. A sensitive and moving picture book." (School Library Journal, starred review)

One of this book's many 5-star reviewers commented: "As a teacher, this is the perfect book to read to help kids understand more about Memorial Day."

Another reviewer, a Vietnam veteran, said: "Bought this to give to my great-grandson on Memorial Day. The book gave us an excellent story and illustrations that helped keep his interest and it started a great discussion that has lasted for weeks after the reading."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780395629772
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	08/24/1992
Series:	Reading Rainbow Series
Edition description:	Reissue
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	233,591
Product dimensions:	8.81(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.12(d)
Lexile:	AD270L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Eve Bunting was the beloved, award-winning author of more than two hundred and fifty books for young people, including the Caldecott Medal-winning Smoky Night, illustrated by David Diaz, The Wall, Fly Away Home, and Train to Somewhere.

Ronald Himler is the award-winning illustrator of more than 75 books for children. He lives in the desert outside of Tuscon, Arizona. ronhimler.com
 

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"A sensitive and moving picture book, and a great discussion book as well." School Library Journal, Starred

Editorial Reviews

A boy travels to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial with his father to seek out his grandfather's name. The well-matched text and illustrations are soft but stirring. Ages 4-8. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

PreS-Gr 3-Eve Bunting's The Wall (Clarion, 1990) has been faithfully transferred to the audio format in this poignant retelling of a small boy's search for his grandfather's name on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. In a subdued voice, the male narrator reads the story, accompanied by a few background sounds and some guitar and flute music reminiscent of the folk music that was popular during the era of the Vietnam War. There is a brief introduction and a follow-up instructing listeners to rewind the tape, or to turn it over if they want to listen without the page turning chime. The audio quality is excellent, and the narrator's voice captures the quiet grief that the boy and his father feel over their loss. This is a picture book that begs to be read by a sensitive adult, and this version satisfies that need. For school and public library collections.-Linda R. Skeele, Western Elementary School, Georgetown, KY Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

"A sensitive and moving picture book, and a great discussion book as well." — School Library Journal (starred review)

From the Publisher