Product Description

George can't read. A hundred years old, and he never learned how. "That must be corrected," says George. George Baker and Harry don't seem the likeliest of friends. But sitting together waiting for the school bus in the morning, the hundred-year-old musician and the young schoolboy have plenty in common. They're both learning to read, and it's hard. What's easy is the warm friendship they share. In an inspired pairing, a best-selling author and illustrator pay quiet tribute to the power of language and intergenerational bonds.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #270016 in Books
• Published on: 2008-11-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Hest (the Baby Duck books) and Muth (Stone Soup) eloquently capture a friendship between two neighbors in the span of a morning wait for the school bus. First grader Harry and Mr. George Baker ("He's a hundred years old, no kidding," the boy claims), an African-American jazz drummer ("some people say he's famous"), share a special bond revealed through Harry's descriptive, first-person observations. "I really like his sweater,/ all hangy with three buttons./ It's chilly in the morning, and/ we both hug our knees./ And wait. We wait, watching/ leaves blow off trees." His youthful, sometimes lyrical narrative offers a peek into their understated relationship. "See his pants, all baggy, baggy, baggy?/ .../ There's candy in those pockets./ .../ George pops one in his mouth and I do too." But the biggest connection the two share is that they're both learning to read. Muth's soft watercolors maintain visual interest with varied perspectives of the same porch scene. In one, the pair sits similarly posed, arms crossed over knees, while another spread allows readers to peer out from the recesses of the porch, over their shoulders and identical book bags. With George's "crookedy fingers, going tappidy on his knees," Muth fluidly unveils a montage from a bygone era; a close-up of the man's large, dark hands fades downward into a nostalgic jazz club scene. When the bus finally arrives, both friends board, hand in hand. An upbeat, hopeful tale that speaks compellingly to intergenerational friendship. Ages 5-8.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3–One-hundred-year-old George has decided to learn to read, so he waits for the school bus every morning along with his young neighbor, Harry. He studies with a group of grown-ups, while Harry does the same with his classmates down the hall. George is a musician, "a drummer man, and some people say he's famous." But to Harry, he is just a friend who shares the struggle of tackling a new skill. Harry narrates the story in short articulate sentences that present an uncomplicated picture of two unlikely friends. Watercolor illustrations depict the African-American man and the Caucasian boy and their warm relationship. The soft tones reflect the pensive feeling, but also capture the playfulness of George's rhythmic drumming as he practices reading. Interesting perspectives allow readers to see the characters from different angles–from the bottom of the porch steps looking up as they smile together, or from behind, showing matching postures and book bags. The spreads are beautifully composed–leaves swirl delicately from one side to the other, George and his wife do a graceful dance across the pages–all subtly pulling the eye from left to right. This book works well as a read-alone or a read-aloud and makes a good companion to Patricia Polacco's Thank You, Mr. Falker (Philomel, 1998).–Carolyn Janssen, Children's Learning Center of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
PreS-Gr. 1. In spare, affectionate language, young Harry describes how he waits for the school bus each morning with his elderly, African American neighbor, George ("he's a hundred years old, no kidding"). When the bus arrives, they both get on because George is learning how to read in a class for adults. There's more situation than story here, but Hest tones down what could have been a message-driven piece with quiet, lyrical words that keep the emphasis on George and Harry's companionship and give a sense of George's character that goes beyond his illiteracy. George is a former jazz drummer, according to Harry's fond descriptions, which are written from a child's worshipful viewpoint and beautifully illustrated in subtle watercolors. Hest's understated, unhurried poetry echoes the syncopated rhythms of music to describe the fear and thrill of learning to read, and like Mem Fox's Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge (1985), her book is a simple, sweet, moving portrait of a natural friendship between seniors and children. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

One of the Best Books of 2004
I loved reading this book about the friendship between a young boy and his 100-year old neighbor, both of whom are learning to read. The prose is rhythmic, jazzy, and fun to read, and the watercolor illustrations display great texture, dimension, and emotion.

Although the situation is dramatic, the author and the illustrator take their time telling the story. There are no explosive moments or insights, just the little details of the everyday, set against a larger background of recent American history. Harry notices Mr. Baker's crumpled shoes and how they're always tied, the suspenders of his pants, and how the leaves float and swoop in the chilly morning air (the two sitting on porch, hugging their knees) as they wait for the schoolbus.

Mr. Baker's wife comes out, and in two subtle but evocative pages Hest and Muth suggest their relationship. Against a soft as memory background of a New Orleans style jazz band, we discover that George Baker "is a drummer man, and some people say he's famous." After the bus delivers them to school, Mr. Baker and the school children sit comfortably together with a common goal:

"'We can do it,' says George after school...
his lips sound out the letters.
Real slow. But his fingers fly across his knees. Like a big old drum."

Telling a simple but beautiful story with heart and dignity, this book can be appreciated by readers (and almost-readers) of just about any age. Great production values by publisher Candlewick: Thick paper, easily read letters in "Integrity" font, and big, easy-going pictures. Very highly recommended!

This is an excellent story.
I bought this because it was recommended by a book club I'm part of; it turned out to be a great investment. The story is written like music ~ there is a rhythm in it that is just really enjoyable. My son (4.5 y.o.) particularly loves the end -- "Tappitty-boom, tappitty-boom..." Although the underlying message (you're never too old to learn) is lost on him at his age, I have no doubt that eventually it will stick. For now, he usually just enjoys the beauty of the illustrations and the musical flow of the story's words.

Utterly compelling
This powerful yet gentle picture book tells a marvellously uplifting and hopeful story. Centenarian George Baker is learning to read, just like his much younger neighbor Harry. Their commonality of purpose, along with the innocence of Harry's simple straightforward point of view, speaks volumes for the case of equality of opportunity. George's musical fame is secondary to Harry; he's happy enough knowing he has a friend to ride the bus with and who is tackling the same challenge as he is. Crossing racial and generational lines, this fine story shows that we are all equal before the vast mountain of dreams and ambition, that learning is a laudable goal regardless of one's circumstance or history, and that hope and confidence are universal. George and Harry quietly exude pride and sureness, and we as readers feel moved to cheer them on.

This is simply a fantastic book!