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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Silver Falls Library | JP FLEMING | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Christy's mother always tells her to be good to Eddie Lee, a neighborhood child with Down's Syndrome. But Christy wants to run and play -- and not worry about Eddie Lee tagging along. One hot summer day, though, Eddie Lee takes Christy to a secret place in the woods and teaches her that beautiful things can be found in unexpected places.
"What makes Fleming's first book so effective are the carefully selected details and authentic portrayal of the children's attitudes -- as well as Cooper's luminous art, summoning up all the enchantment of a lovely summer day and presenting Eddie Lee as believably endearing". -- Kirkus Reviews , pointer review
"(A book) that can lead children away from harmful stereotypes and labels". -- Book Links
Author Notes
Virginia Fleming is the author of the picture book Be Good to Eddie Lee .
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-On the first day of summer vacation, Christy follows her friend JimBud to a nearby pond, looking for something to do. When Eddie Lee, a child with Down's syndrome, follows them, Christy tells him to stay home, and JimBud tries to chase him away. Only when Eddie Lee leads the girl to a hidden place to show her frog eggs and water lillies does she fully grasp that everyone is special and has unique, individual gifts. Cooper's attractive, full-page borderless scenes of the rural South- waist-high, straw-colored weeds; a clear, rippling stone-bottomed brook; hazy green woods and water-are painted in oil wash, but have the smudgy appearance of oil pastel. Clearly the focus of the illustrations is the insightfully realistic portraits of Eddie Lee, and it is Cooper's artful accompaniment to the text that truly brings out the author's positive message. Berniece Rabe's Where's Chimpy? (Albert Whitman, 1988) is aimed at three to five-year-olds, as is Cairo Jasmine's Our Brother Has Down's Syndrome (Annick, 1985). Be Good to Eddie Lee is welcome for slightly older children, but mostly for the realism it exudes rather than the somewhat contrived story.-Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In a starred review, PW called this story about a boy with Down's syndrome "a rarity for its potential to entertain, educate and encourage deeper consideration for others." Ages 4-8. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
A boy with Down syndrome eventually wins the respect of two reluctant children by leading them to special places in the woods near their homes. The gentle, carefully wrought tale both directly and allegorically conveys appreciation of differences. From HORN BOOK 1993, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
``God didn't make mistakes, and Eddie Lee was a mistake if there ever was one,'' muses Christy, trying to justify her reluctance to be kind as Mama has said; and with her friend JimBud, she sets out to look for frogs' eggs, hoping to evade the Down's syndrome boy. Cheerfully ignoring their scorn, Eddie Lee tags along, wades in with his shoes on to try (unsuccessfully) to get a waterlily, then takes Christy to a little pond she hadn't known was there to find both lilies and tadpoles--which Eddie Lee urges leaving there, lest their mother be sad; he's also first sees the beauty of the lilies and the humor in Christy's reflection, distorted by ripples. ``I like you, anyway,'' he assures her, affirming his own humanity, too. What makes Fleming's first book so effective are the carefully selected detail and authentic portrayal of the children's attitudes--as well as Cooper's luminous full-bleed art, summoning up all the enchantment of a lovely summer day and presenting Eddie Lee as believably endearing. (Picture book. 4-8)
Booklist Review
Ages 5-8. Christy begins to see and appreciate the beauty of her rural environs under the guidance of Eddie Lee, a young neighbor with Down's syndrome. At first, Christy only tolerates Eddie Lee's companionship at her mother's insistence; she would rather spend her long summer days exploring the woods with pal JimBud. But Eddie Lee persistently follows the pair and ingeniously demonstrates his superior knowledge of and sensitivity to nature. He shows Christy how to catch a salamander, where to find frog eggs and a hidden lake of water lilies, and, most importantly, when to leave creatures undisturbed. A single scene in which Eddie Lee and Christy compare their distorted images in a rippled pond seems unnecessarily heavy-handed, but the portrayal of Eddie Lee as a wise and independent youngster easily overcomes this flaw. Impressionistic oil wash paintings fairly glow with the sunshine that filters through the wooded scenes, a technique that also softens the features of Eddie Lee and his friends, diminishing their physical differences. This title will undoubtedly be valued for its Down's syndrome theme, but detailed references to the pyracantha bush, the belted kingfisher, and the "beaver-gnawed birches," supported by Cooper's luminous paintings, also recommend it as a nature story. ~--Elizabeth Bush