Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart

This book contains poetry, and as a general rule I don't like poetry (unless it's funny, and stars that charming man from Nantucket!) However, I made an exception for this book because it's just so GOOD! It's not that rhyming sort of poetry, but a gentle, flowing sort that's even more poetic, which tells a story in separate, glorious little parts. I'm not ashamed to admit, I was so touched by the courage and strength of Amber and Essie in the face of adversity, and their sisterly love for one another, that I cried like a baby when I read this. It's a beautiful story! Yes, sometimes life is hard, and isn't fair. But these kids have a way of coping that's both innocent and wise at the same time. Truly joyous and inspiring!

Althought the age group listed for this book is 9-12, I first learned of it from a preschooler in my classroom. The girl who shared the book does not have a sister, lives with both parents in an upperclass neighborhood, and would seem to have little in common with Essie or Amber. And yet, this story reached her, she connected immediately with the strengths and longings of both children. She wants to BE these children, for their strength and humanity. What a great way to begin to bridge the socioeconomic gap! Other children from very diverse backgrounds in my class were also immediately drawn to the poetry of warmth, hope, caring, friendship amidst troubling circumstances.

This is a touching story of two sisters who are dealing with a tramatic event that had a significant effect on their lives. The art work is enhances the story and is great in it's own right. After I bought this book, I couldn't wait to share it with my own sister and other close friends who I knew would love it too.

Amber was brave..."She could get the grocery man/to trust them for a container of milk/though their mother/couldn't pay him till payday/Amber wasn't afraid of the rat/in the wall under the sink/or of climbing up in high places" Essie was smart..."Essie could read hard library books/could thread a needle/cook toasted cheese sandwiches/make cocoa/put the lipstick on just right/when they played dress-up" Amber and Essie, two sisters, caught in the day to day struggle of hard times. Their mother is tired and sad, and works long hours for minimum wage. Their daddy is in jail for forging a check when he lost his job and needed money. There is never much to eat, the radiator's always cold, and the phone is turned off until their mother can pay the bill. But there are still the small pleasures of childhood...jumping on the bed together trying to touch the ceiling, playing beauty parlor every Sunday night with Mommy, dipping toast triangles in hot cocoa, making a "best sandwich" together with Wilson the bear. And there is hope.... Vera B Williams has written an unforgettable and poignant portrait of a family clinging to the edge. Her evocative text, told in free verse, is powerful, yet gentle, sensitive without being maudlin, and really illuminates the joys and sorrows of Amber and Essie's life. Her expressive and understated black and white pencil drawings capture the tough times and happier moments without being distracting. And Ms Williams includes vibrant, colored pencil, self-portraits at the beginning to introduce the girls, and a wonderful family album drawn by Essie and Amber, to complete this remarkable and heartwarming story, after the happy and uplifting ending. Perfect for youngsters 8-12, Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart is an engaging and endearing treasure, told with great insight and wisdom.

WOW! I am not normally a man who reads a lot of poetry and I have occasionally been accused of being cold and unemotional, but this book is one that fulfills all of my requirements of "real" poetry. It is short, direct and highly evocative. When I heard these poems read on the radio, they reduced me to tears. Buy it, buy it, buy it! If even I like it, it's bound to be a sure winner for anyone.