The Ferris Wheel

PreS-Gr 2–A Turkish author and illustrator create an eerie then uplifting story of lives united from two distinct and unsettling perspectives. On every spread, two similar plots unfold with often identical text. In one, a boy and his mother leave home, his favorite stuffed bear left behind after a night of fireworks in the distance; in the other, a girl and her papa have to abandon their home, where bombs fall nearby, and where her pet goldfish will stay. Onlookers will follow the dual-progress of each parent and child: on the lefthand page, life is normal, while on the right, father and daughter are refugees. As with Anthony Browne’s books, so much is left unstated that readers will have to fill in the details, but by the end, the boy and the girl are witnessing the same ferris wheel, at the same fair, although their paths were radically different to get there. The simplicity of the structure gives the plot power; by employing parallels, children will see the author’s expressed hope in a note—that we are all the same. Very moving images accompany the tale, with a looming goldfish representing memories, or perhaps loved ones, who were also left behind. It is not a cozy book, but a provocative one, and works best when shared in groups where lively discussion can answer some of the questions the author leaves open.