Good Ethan

by Paula Fox, Arnold Lobel (Illustrator)

Ethan is not allowed to walk across the street, so when his ball rolls away he devises a clever way to retrieve it.

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Library Binding

First published March 1, 1973

About the author

Paula Fox was an American author of novels for adults and children and two memoirs. Her novel The Slave Dancer (1973) received the Newbery Medal in 1974; and in 1978, she was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Medal. More recently, A Portrait of Ivan won the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis in 2008.

A teenage marriage produced a daughter, Linda, in 1944. Given the tumultuous relationship with her own biological parents, she gave the child up for adoption. Linda Carroll, the daughter Fox gave up for adoption, is the mother of musician Courtney Love.

Fox then attended Columbia University, married the literary critic and translator Martin Greenberg, raised two sons, taught, and began to write.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had read the premise of the story before buying it because our public library didn't have it. It isn't one I recommend owning. A boy goes outside to play with his red ball and is told he must not cross the street. Well the ball quickly ends up across the street. He asks for help from numerous people who are pretty rude in their responses. An entire page is devoted to two big boys who are punching each other on their way to start a fire. They name call and punch the main character who asked for help after telling him to "hypnotize the ball." Not a book we'll be reading again or keeping.

[Lars Guthrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth it if only because of the collaboration between Fox and Arnold Lobel. And it's funny and offers a nice hint of magical realism. But not enough of the dark side of Fox which is the essential element of her best children's books. Fifteen down, eight to go.

[Kelly Holmes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good picture book. Ethan is certainly a creative problem-solver!