Nice Try, Charlie!

by Matt James

A new picture book about friendship and community from Matt James, acclaimed author and illustrator of The Funeral.

With his cart full of treasures and big green hat, Charlie is a neighborhood fixture. When he finds a pie, he sets off to find the owner — and helps some friends along the way.

Poignant and funny, this story is an ode to resourcefulness and the compassion that turns neighbors into friends. Charlie and his friends might not have much — but they have each other.

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.7Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.7Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).

Genres: Picture Books, Canada, Childrens

55 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2020

Reviews

[Cindy Dobrez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was delighted to read another book by Matt James, author of one of my favorites, The Funeral. The art is, again, unique and begs lingering exploration. Community is important. I love that authors, illustrators, and publishers are reinforcing that with so many book treasures.

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quirky story of community and how we interact with each other.

Charlie, the local dumpster diver, is out for a stroll in the neighborhood one day. He finds many treasures in the trash and puts them in his pushcart, helps get Aunt Myrtle's cat down from the tree and returns it to her, and finds a box with a pie in it. In order to do the the right thing of finding the pie's owner, he continues walking and asking Margaret, Malcolm, and the birds if the pie is theirs. When he returns to where he found the pie, he finds that Aunt Myrtle has a surprise set up for the neighbors.

James has a knack for finding an unusual story or character and making it/them come to life in an endearing way. He succeeds magnificently on this one. Charlie's background is nebulous. Is he homeless? Does he have a mental illness? What is his backstory? What the reader does know is that he is known in the neighborhood/community. He is a trusted, honest, endearing person whose contribution to the community is to keep an eye on it and straighten out whatever problems he can.

James' art is always interesting. The illustrations are rendered in acrylic, gouache and ink on masonite. Dimensional elements were made by using cut paper, photographs, cardboard, making tape and scroll-sawn masonite, all painted with acrylic. A few illustrations were digitally enhanced. The style of his art varies within the text. The first illustration (Charlie tying his boots) looks like it is 3-D. Turn the page to see 2D paintings. His use of color is on-target; the duller colors fit well into the grittiness of the city neighborhood. Placement of text is ever-changing, as well. It almost forces the reader to look at the art before reading. My favorite illustration has to be the gatefold of the pie box. When the reader lifts them open, they look down into the box at the magnificent pie! It looks lemony. Yum! Eagle-eyed readers will note that Charlie rides off into the "sunset" on his new riding cart (combining his pushcart with the red bicycle frame he found tossed in the trash earlier). Be sure to check out the book cover (under the jacket) after you read the book. Mystery solved!

An intriguing character study, this could also be used in units on neighbors/neighborhoods/community, helping others, and friendships.

Highly Recommended for PreSchool-grade 3.

[Jen Halupnik]

Sporting a full beard, shaggy hair, and a wide-brimmed hat, Charlie roams his neighborhood finding things: an old television, a pair of mismatched oven mitts (and Aunt Myrtle’s cat). He looks for uses for his finds; “sometimes he finds it harder than he’d like to admit, but he tries.” James (I Know Here, rev. 5/10; The Funeral) uses dry wit, tight pacing, and warmth to turn the story of a neighborhood junk collector into an extraordinary slice of what community can, and does, look like. When Charlie finds a pie, complete in its bakery box, he looks for its owner, in the process making some “nice tries” at helping others with problems. Eventually, Charlie and his neighbors enjoy the fluffy lemon meringue confection. Illustrations created with heavy strokes of acrylic and gouache, with collage elements of cardboard, tape, and photographs, add texture and detail to individualize each character. James varies the perspective: readers look through a restaurant window at Charlie walking down the street and, later, straight down at a circle of hands reaching for forks and plates. The variety in the illustrations as well as the broad brushstrokes create a feeling of the strength and distinctiveness of the people and their neighborhood. This is a notable story of the small events and special people that bind communities.

Lexile Level: 190L-650L
Grade Level: Preschool-2

[Kayley Huskonen · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Spoiler**
Grades: k-2
Lexile Level: 500
The neighborhood "dumpster diver" tries to find the owner of a pie he has found but cannot. He ends up sharing the pie with his neighbors which ends up being a great warm-hearted experience.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A colorful neighborhood dumpster diver tries to find the owner of a found pie but is unsuccessful and ends up sharing it with his neighbors in this warm-hearted story.

[Rebecca Caufman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the pictures in this story and how they were layered. This is the story of a man who finds things and what he does with those things.