A Few Blocks

by Cybèle Young

A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2011 and a finalist for the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award


"It was time for Ferdie and Viola to go to school. But Ferdie had eleven cars to wash, the highest tower ever to build and a snake drawing that wasn't done . . ."


Ferdie doesn't want to go to school, but go to school he must, and fortunately his imaginative older sister Viola paves the way. She tells him to put on his superfast cape and his rocket blaster boots and then off they go! Time and again Viola uses her rich imagination to keep Ferdie on his way. But even big sisters get tired sometimes, and so Ferdie, following her example, draws on his own inner resources andimagination to keep them going.


Told through the eyes of a child, this ordinary event is transformed into a wonderful adventure. The children's fantasy world is beautifully illustrated with Cybele Young's intricate 3-D paper sculptures, created from paintings she made of contemporary street scenes.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fantasy, Family, Fiction, Art, Kids

40 pages, Hardcover

First published August 2, 2011

About the author

Cybèle Young is an award-winning paper sculpture artist as well as an author and illustrator of children's books.

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are wonderfully inventive and marvelously original. I spent a lot of time looking and looking at how Young used the "real life" details to create the components of their imaginary world...it reminds me in that respect of Shadow by Lee. However, I felt the story was a little weak on rationale. WHY doesn't he want to go to school, WHY is it the big sister's (and not the parent's) responsibility to cajole him along, WHY does this resourceful sister suddenly poop out, WHY don't they look happier when they are creating their stories?

PS. Watch for the spider's own journey, which ends on the back cover.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolutely gorgeous brother, sister, going to school, wild imagination book.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even if I’d not read the publishing information or the information about the author, one look at this book would have told me that this book was not made here in America; the book has an air of foreign exoticism that I like.

A boy and his sister are preparing to go to school, but the boy does not want to go. The sister encourages her brother by pretending with him that they are superheroes and pirates and a knight and princess. When, at the end of the road, the sister begins to falter, her brother encourages her to finish.

“’That’s it. I’m not going. Not now,’ he said. ‘Maybe never.’

He watched as some ants on the ground ate a gumdrop.

Viola pointed to a leaf in the gutter and said, ‘The ship’s leaving! We’d better hop on and go find the buried treasure.’”

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Viola and Ferdie walk to school in this creative picture book from Canadian author/illustrator Cybèle Young. Not really interested in moving, or in going at all, Ferdie is prodded into action by the older Viola, who turns their walk into one imaginative game after the other: flying through the air with their superhero capes, sailing through the seas on their journey to buried treasure, fighting fire-breathing dragons to save a princess. When it is Viola who runs out of steam, Ferdie shares his magic bean with her, and they manage to complete their walk of a few blocks...

Having enjoyed this creator's two ornately illustrated picture books about ten befuddled birds and their misadventures— Ten Birds and Ten Birds Meet a Monster —I sought out more of her work, and requested A Few Blocks from the library. I am glad that I did! The artwork here is in a completely different style from those other books, created using painted scenes done in ink and watercolor, that were then cut out and assembled as paper sculpture. Apparently Young is known for this art form, and has exhibited her work in this vein internationally. The effect here is quietly appealing, with the "real world" scenes being done simply, drawn with a limited color palette and featuring no sculptural elements, while the sequences featuring imaginative play are more colorful, and done with three dimensional sculpture. The mirroring of visual and textual elements here give the book extra power, and the reader is drawn into the internal world of these children, as they perform the seemingly mundane task of walking to school. I enjoyed this one far more than I expected to, when I first picked it up and looked at the cover, and that is a testament to the skill of its creator. I'm looking forward to tracking down Young's other book in this vein, A Few Bites , and would recommend this one to picture book audiences looking for stories about the imagination and the sibling relationship.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two children are getting ready to go to school a few blocks away, but Ferdie doesn't want to go. Viola uses her imagination to inspire him to go, and they have wonderful make-believe adventures along the way. When Viola decides to go no further, Ferdie tries to encourage her to keep going. Marvellous illustrations!

[Olivia S · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

"Ferdie found a perfect rock and sat down. 'That's it. I'm not going. Not now,' he said. 'Maybe not ever.'"

Ferdie doesn't want to go to school, but his sister Violet knows just what to say to get him excited to go. But what happens when Violet doesn't want to go either? Great sibling book, super cute, neat illustrations. Loved it.

[Kacee Eddinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was too adorable! A great book for talking about how our imaginations can get us through the boring parts of the day.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a book about a brother and sister on their way to school, and the use of their imaginations. The color in the artwork unfolds along with their imaginations.

[Amy Seto · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s time for Ferdie and his sister Viola to walk to school, but Ferdie doesn’t want to go, “Not now. Maybe never.” He has lots of things to do at home, pictures to draw and towers to build. But Viola knows just what to do. She holds out Ferdie’s coat and tells him it’s a superfast cape! If he puts on his rocket-blaster boots they’ll get to school in no time. Off they blast, flying over buildings and streets until Ferdie runs out of rocket fuel. He doesn’t want to go to school, “Not now. Maybe never.” Good thing Viola has more ideas to propel her reluctant little brother to imagine his way to school! But what will happen when Viola runs out of ideas?

The text, written in third person present tense, is printed in black font on the bottom edge of the page. Most of the text describes the imaginative world the siblings create, but every once in a while Ferdie breaks in with his signature ultimatum, “Not now. Maybe never.” The ink, watercolor, and 3D paper collage illustrations are delicately rendered (look for the shadows that show that the images aren’t sitting directly against the paper). Viola and Ferdie live in a grayscale world until they begin to imagine, then they are surrounded by wonderful colors contained in shapes that simultaneously represent the city blocks they are walking through and the fantasy world they create in their minds. Within each shape Young uses monochromatic colors and precise line work, which creates a detailed, yet magical landscape. The size of the book and the illustrations make this book best for storytime with a small group.

Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...

[Victoria Whipple · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw the cover of this book, the illustrations of the children reminded me of one of my favorite books from my childhood "A Hole is to Dig" by Ruth Krauss and illustrated by Maurice Sendak so I had to pick it up. Little Ferdie didn't want to go to school, he had too much playing to do. So his big sister Viola had to coax him to get dressed and walk the few blocks to school. She used the magical power of imagination to get him going, and to keep him going all the way. The ink and watercolor illustrations show fine details of the children and their belongings in dark sepia tones on a white background. But once Viola sets the stage for an imaginary adventure, the reader is swept into a colorful world where Young uses colorful collage to create the stage for their imaginations. For example, Ferdie and Viola are in their sepia tones, except for one leaf which is bright red. Viola says "The ship's leaving! We'd better hop on and go find the buried treasure!" and the ensuing collage is all red tones. While the collages are shaped like ships or clouds or other things, the objects shown in them are all city sights--buildings, trucks, fences, etc. This is visually a stunning book, and the story is a beautiful story of the magical bond between siblings Highly recommended. PreK-Gr. 3

[Emmaline MacBeath · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is time to go to school, but Ferdie does not want to go. So his sister helps motivate him by entering the world of imagination and inviting Ferdie along. When he gets tired and sits down again on the way, she makes up a new make believe scenario each time until they make it to school.

I very much enjoyed Young's, A Few Bites in which the sister encourages her brother to eat his lunch. But this story lacked the good plot flow and I felt dragged down by Ferdie's attitude. I felt like he was being a whiner. Everyone must go to school and sister should not need to make up one story after another to get him the few blocks to school. The few blocks to school seemed miles long by the time the story was over. In A Few Bites, it was easy to imagine a little boy who doesn't want to eat, but in this story I now feel the boy is older since he is going to school and he shouldn't be acting like a toddler. And where are the parents?

On a positive note, I very much enjoy Young's illustrations. They are different from anything you might see in other books. She uses Japanese paper sculptures. This story begins with black and white drawings, but as the children's imaginations grow the illustrations become colored paper sculptures. Instead of simply coloring the sculptures, she uses drawings within drawings.

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was time for school, but Ferdie did not want to go to school. He wasn’t done playing with his cars, his blocks, or his drawing. In fact, he was not sure he ever wanted to go to school again. But Viola held up his coat, called it his cape and invited him to blast off with his rocket-blaster boots. They fought evil until Ferdie’s boots ran out of fuel. Ferdie sat down and once again announced that he wasn’t going to school, maybe not ever. Viola discovered a leaf in the gutter and invited Ferdie to hop on board the ship to find treasure. Their trip to school continued, moving from one imaginary game to another, until suddenly it was Viola who isn’t sure that she can make it to school. It was up to Ferdie now to get them that last block to school.

Read the rest of my review at my blog, Waking Brain Cells.

[Skye Kilaen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son is an only child, so all the coaxing-of-child-to-do-something around here is done by adults. In this book, an older sibling is stuck with the coaxing. Viola has to get Ferdie, her younger brother, to walk to school. He doesn't want to. Her response is far more positive and creative than I might be in that situation, and as a result both children have much more fun... until Viola runs out of steam and needs a little help herself. The story is full of imagination, but what really stands out here is the art. From what I can tell, Young took photo-realistic drawings, cut them up, layered them, and took photographs? That's my best guess knowing she's an award-winning paper sculptor. The result is fascinating fantasy landscapes for the children to walk through, composed of bits and pieces of the real neighborhood around them. The color shifts from page to page of the imaginary landscapes are just lovely.

[Asho · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book because it was on the "Featured Picture Books" shelf at the library and I figured "blocks" meant building blocks and therefore the book might be baby-friendly. Nope! "Blocks" in this case are city blocks. I checked it out anyway, though, because I wanted to get a better look at the illustrations.
The illustrations in this book are great. They are delicate and elaborate and have a distinctly "foreign" feel. The illustrations reminded me of a Japanese graphic novel. I love how the real walk to school is interspersed with everything the brother and sister are imagining. I wasn't as impressed by the text, and this is definitely a book for an older child who can appreciate the layers (literally!) of illustration.

[Alicia Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ferdie doesn't want to go to school at all and he dreads his sister Viola telling him to go. He vows to stay put and never move and Viola has to tell him that he must do extravagant things like save a princess and search for buried treasure to get him to move. There's only a few blocks to get to school and the two siblings will have to use their imaginations to get through it.

The illustrations are amazing. The real world is in blacks and gray blues while those in their imaginations are in vibrant color. It's fabulous. The characters are entirely too fun as they remind me of several kids I know. A very fun read.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's time to go to school but Viola's little brother Ferdie does not want to go. But when Viola finds Ferdie's super fast cape he can't help himself. He flies over the tallest buildings, knocking out evil as they go. When his feet hit the ground he once again refuses to go to school. Viola notices a ship is leaving to find buried treasure. Well, of course Ferdie wants to find treasure. Off he goes!

So the story continues until all of a sudden, after being rescued from a fire-breathing dragon, Viola sits down and refuses to move. Now it's Ferdie's turn to figure out how to get his sister moving. And he succeeds.

Sweet story, good for one-on-one. Much too detailed for storytime.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Ferdie is reluctant to go to school, his older sister Viola knows just how to handle him. Clearly, this has happened before, and she cleverly turns his jacket into a cape, a leaf into a ship, cardboard into a shield on the way to school. Just when they've almost made it to the school doors, she needs a nudge of her own. The 3-D paper sculpture illustrations of the children's fantastic imaginationary adventures are incredibly intricate and colorful and provide vivid contrast with the simple black, white, and gray visuals of everyday life. Viola is one smart sister.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't decide if I like this or A Few Bites better. They both have interesting climaxes. Imo, this one is a weaker start, maybe just because I can't sympathize with Ferdie's stalling once they're out the door, whereas I (am embarrased to admit that) know a fussy eater....

I do love books brought into the US from other countries, as they do reflect a different perspective. For example: Here, would an only-slightly-bigger sister have so much responsibility?

[Gwen the Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this story of siblings helping each other. Ferdie doesn't want to go to school, but his big sister knows how to get him moving...she stokes his imagination all the way, not without a few hiccups, until finally, it is Ferdie's turn to help Viola find inspiration. The illustrations are old-fashioned, reminiscent of Charlotte Zolotow, black and white until inspiration strikes, and then all the colors of the rainbow.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book. A great book about the power of a good imagination. I loved the illustrations. Simple and then complex, black and white and then very colorful. My friend Gabby said she wanted to have a baby just so she could read this book to her kid. She would give it seven stars. She even wrote down the website so Cybele be watching for her if you read this. I told her just go out and buy it.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gorgeous watercolor illustrations and a stark white layout combine to create an imaginary landscape that matches the yarn sister spins to get brother to leave for school. School is just a few blocks away. She starts him off by holding up his jacket and boots and calling them his "superfast cape and rocket-blaster boots". And that begins an imaginary adventure shown in planes of color, layered and dream-like.

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

G and I both agreed almost immediately that the sister and brother duo in this book reflected her and her younger brother so clearly it was as if this story were written about them. Feeling as if you "know" the characters in a book is a wonderful feeling and when those characters are reminiscent of someone beloved, it's even more precious. A Few Blocks has immediately earned a special place in my heart. The story is fun and familiar and the illustrations are so simplistically sweet.

[Shelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little story with sweet simple pictures about a older sister, Viola, and her younger brother Ferdie. Ferdie has more important things to do then attend school that day. His model cars need washed and toy towers need constructed, he might never be able to go. Viola has to come up with creative ways to encourage her brother to go to school. Never have a few block walk been more adventurous!

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the illustrations are beautiful, original and imaginative, that does not rescue the poor plot. The only reason I finished the picture book was to look at the illustrations. The story gets off to a good start but gets too repetitive. Example: If "Goldilocks and the three bears" was "Goldilocks and the seven bears"... too many beds and too much porridge...

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gorgeous, gorgeous art pulls up the slight plot. Ferdie doesn't want to go to school, but big sister Viola convinces him to walk the few blocks by making it into an adventure. I adored the art and how it changed between real world and what was imagined, and I was glad to see both big sister and little brother take on the solution to the problem rather than have a parent do it.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I hear the title of this book, I think of building blocks. Don’t you? But it’s actually referring to the few city blocks that Ferdie and his older sister Viola have to walk on their way to school.

The illustrations in A Few Blocks are lush pastels, complex drawings of Ferdie’s imaginary adventures, within the cut-out shapes of every day. Very clever and should appeal to ages 4-8.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little boy does not want to go to school, so his sister convinces him to walk the few blocks by using his imagination as they journey on a pirate ship and other adventures. The illustrations are beautiful: their everyday life is black and white but their imagination is in beautiful hues of colors that still show the everyday background as they walk to school.

[Sam Bloom · Rating 3 out of 5]

The visuals in this story are pretty amazing, but I thought the relationship between the brother and sister was pretty unbelievable. Seriously, the big sister had skills most parents don't even have in terms of redirecting a difficult/reticent child. Hmmm.

[Donalyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ferdinand doesn't want to go to school, so his older sister, Viola uses imaginative play to coax him. I enjoyed the sweet relationship between the siblings, but the story fell apart for me at the end. Young artists will enjoy the fanciful illustrations, though.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story of a very patient sister trying to coax her little brother to school...they use their imaginations and a fantasy world unfolds for just "a few blocks". The illustrations are amazing...they really make the book!