Charcoal Boys

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Pub Date 08 Oct 2019 | Archive Date 07 Jul 2019
Archipelago | Elsewhere Editions

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Description

From Hans Christian Andersen Award and Batchelder Honor Medal-winning author Roger Mello, a poetic and sensitive portrait of child labor in Brazil's charcoal mines.

Beautifully illustrated by Roger Mello with sophisticated, highly textural paper cutouts, Charcoal Boys follows a young boy working in Brazil's charcoal mines. The boy's strength and resilience shine through the darkness in this moving condemnation of child labor.
From Hans Christian Andersen Award and Batchelder Honor Medal-winning author Roger Mello, a poetic and sensitive portrait of child labor in Brazil's charcoal mines.

Beautifully illustrated by Roger...

Advance Praise

Praise for Roger Mello's You Can't Be Too Careful! (Elsewhere Editions, 2017): ALA Batchelder Honor Award 2018 Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books of 2017 USBBY Outstanding International Books List 2018 ALSC Notable Children's Book "A marvel of art, story, and imagination."--Laura Farmer, The Gazette "Elegant linework mixes with torn paper and soft, textured colors as a parade of luminous, exotic caricatures and their accoutrements unfold against a white backdrop; the effect is magical. The interactions probe issues around wealth, possession, and compassion...Complex and provocative."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review "Through wordplay, dreamlike images, and a playful lightness of touch, You Can't Be Too Careful! expresses serious questions about the importance of kindness and the dangers of greed."--MPR News Staff "Roger Mello's illustrations challenge and excite the imagination... it's great to see some of his work available in English at last."--Center for Literacy in Primary Education "This is a book for puzzle-lovers... Complex and provocative, it's just right for children who love a challenge."--Bookwitty

Praise for Roger Mello's You Can't Be Too Careful! (Elsewhere Editions, 2017): ALA Batchelder Honor Award 2018 Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books of 2017 USBBY Outstanding International Books List...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781939810199
PRICE $20.00 (USD)
PAGES 46

Average rating from 18 members


Featured Reviews

Charcoal Boys is one of the most sophisticated picture books I've ever come across. It would easily be a masterpiece without its otherworldly and carefully arranged prose. Writing from a hornet's perspective was a stroke of genius on Mello's part. And on a completely different level I have a tremendous amount of respect for the purpose of the book. Drawing attention to the reality of child labour in Brazil is a bold endeavour and it is expertly achieved in the first couple pages. The harsh yet masterful composition conveys a dire circumstance. (Collage happens to be my favourite forms of medium.) Conditions of a charcoal mine are no doubt hellish and dehumanizing but reading between the lines the author believes that life is resilient.
I would slot this book in a preteen age range due to the more mature themes.

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"Charcoal Boys" introduced me to a side of Brazil I did not know existed. The gorgeous art and unique way of telling the story is, I believe, meant to lead to research and discussion. While it is a picture book, I would recommend it for those eighth grade and up as part of a classroom lesson or independent study. What I've learned because of this will stick with me.

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Charcoal Boys is a sad tale with some beautiful illustrations. I think this book could work great as a starting point in regards of the topic of child labour.

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Visionary, creative, mixed-media montages and almost fantasy-fairy-like story-telling of the very harsh, cruel reality.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. All the best to Mr. Mello (and translator Hahn) in future endeavors.

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