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Look Up!

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
A girl in a wheelchair looks down from her balcony and calls to passersby below: "Look up!" Dog walkers, a bike rider, a kite flier, and dozens of commuters walk by without taking any notice. Then a boy stops and looks up. He lies on the sidewalk so the girl can see him better. A woman joins him. Soon nine people and one dog are lying down and looking up. The girl looks up at the reader and smiles. Art and text that are dramatic and elegant tell a story of kindness, compassion and friendship. This book was awarded an Opera Prima Honor at the Bologna Book Fair.
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    • Kirkus

      What can sidewalk activity mean to someone high above on a balcony?The opening spread, which establishes the composition that's used throughout, requires studying to parse: it's a city sidewalk from almost straight above. At the left is a line of trees; in the middle, a wide sidewalk paved with small, square, welcomingly irregular bricks or stones; toward the right, there's a thick, unidentifiable line from the top of the page to the bottom. "Slam!" comes a sound from the far right. The thick, rough line is a balcony wall, and onto the balcony emerges a person--but only far enough to show her feet resting on her wheelchair's footrests. When she peers down toward the sidewalk, readers see the top of her head, the tip of her nose, and her hands gripping the balcony rail. A sidewalk game and bustling pedestrians capture her interest, but nobody will "look up!"--until one boy does. He realizes that lying down will help the girl see him better, and he stirs others to join him. She looks skyward, smiling, and for the first time, the black-and-white (-and-gray) drawings show tiny bits of color: pinks in treetops, a green seedling in a pot. The illustrations' style is loose and unfinished (the pedestrians below lack eyes), nicely balancing the high concept. Conceptually sophisticated; especially inviting for young artists ready to explore new visual angles. (Picture book. 5-8) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • School Library Journal

      October 1, 2016

      K-Gr 2-A girl in a wheelchair gazes down from a balcony at the crowded street below, yelling to the passersby to look up. However, everyone ignores her, despite her insistence. A boy eventually spots her and lies down on the busy street to look up at her. His actions prompt others to stop what they are doing and lie down and stare up at the girl, which causes the child to finally look up at readers-with an ecstatic smile on her face. The top-down view of the artwork is an interesting perspective, and children will enjoy pointing out all the various activities that people are doing on the street. Jin-Ho's lack of color throughout-until the very end-creates a monotonous look. But his sketchy design mirrors the childish wonder of the piece, and his use of smears to signify movement and watermarks to show rain is a nice artistic touch. VERDICT While simple in word choice and artistic format, this is a magical book nonetheless. A good option for picture book collections.-Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI

      Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • The Horn Book

      March 1, 2017
      A friendly exchange takes place between a girl on a balcony and a boy in a cobblestone courtyard below. The girl above is in a wheelchair, though the reader perceives it only through a glimpse of her feet in the footrests. The story unfolds through a consistent, singular bird's-eye perspective as the day progresses. On the left side of each double-page spread people walk dogs, fly kites, and duck under umbrellas; on the right side we see the top of the girl's head as she looks down on the action. Passersby take no notice of the girl repeatedly calling, Look up! until one boy lies down, the better to communicate face to face. Soon the ground is covered with people lying down and looking up, and finally the girl looks up, too, her face beaming. A final spread shows the world back in its swing, the balcony empty and two children sitting at street level, an empty wheelchair beside them. Jung's spare, scratchy black-and-white drawings depict the simple scenes with little embellishment; the introduction of color at the very end, including a green sprout in a pot on the balcony, subtly signals the richness that comes when our daily lives intersect. thom barthelmess

      (Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

    • Kirkus

      Starred review from August 1, 2016
      What can sidewalk activity mean to someone high above on a balcony?The opening spread, which establishes the composition thats used throughout, requires studying to parse: its a city sidewalk from almost straight above. At the left is a line of trees; in the middle, a wide sidewalk paved with small, square, welcomingly irregular bricks or stones; toward the right, theres a thick, unidentifiable line from the top of the page to the bottom. Slam! comes a sound from the far right. The thick, rough line is a balcony wall, and onto the balcony emerges a personbut only far enough to show her feet resting on her wheelchairs footrests. When she peers down toward the sidewalk, readers see the top of her head, the tip of her nose, and her hands gripping the balcony rail. A sidewalk game and bustling pedestrians capture her interest, but nobody will look up!until one boy does. He realizes that lying down will help the girl see him better, and he stirs others to join him. She looks skyward, smiling, and for the first time, the black-and-white (-and-gray) drawings show tiny bits of color: pinks in treetops, a green seedling in a pot. The illustrations style is loose and unfinished (the pedestrians below lack eyes), nicely balancing the high concept. Conceptually sophisticated; especially inviting for young artists ready to explore new visual angles. (Picture book. 5-8)

      COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Formats

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  • English

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