Hornbooks and Inkwells

Gr 1—4—In energetic quatrains, readers follow brothers Peter and John Paul as they race to their Colonial-era one-room school; line up on benches with boys on one side, girls on the other; and begin the day's lessons. Alphabet, math, history, and religion fill the instructional time, but recess finds the children outside playing simple games. Modern children may feel lucky as they learn that the Master does not spare the rod and that wearing neck yokes was considered appropriate punishment for misbehavior. John Paul's delight in his blossoming academic progress will be shared by readers. Watercolor and gouache illustrations bring the boys to humorous life and provide details of the dress and customs of the period. The text and pictures work exceptionally well together. The format of the text does not allow for in-depth explanations but the pictures help fill in the gaps. Appealing visual elements such as quilt squares, illuminated letters, and borders add variety to the overall design of the book. The brownish tones used in the pictures suggest the look of old documents and further enhance the atmosphere of the story. Since this book does not actually explain terms such as "hornbook," pair it with a nonfiction title such as Marian Broida's Projects About Colonial Life (Marshall Cavendish, 2003) to help children gain a more complete understanding of the period.—Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA

A portrait of a mid-eighteenth-century one-room school is animated by the ongoing feud between brothers Peter and John Paul. Kay's text is minimal, consisting of staccato quatrains: "Girls' side, boys' side, / John in front. / Peter snickers, / 'Yer a runt!'" Schindler's well-composed scenes evoke the period through the characters' dress, the school's minimal appurtenances, and students helping one another learn.