The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis, Peter Sis (Illustrator)

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Peter Sís has already won the New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year award six times, but The Wall might be his most riveting -- and personal -- book yet. With words and unforgettable pictures, he renders the experience of growing up in postwar, Communist-dominated Czechoslovakia. Like the omnipresent statues of Stalin, oppressive authority and regimentation loom everywhere. But eventually the Iron Curtain wears thin, allowing Sís to at least sample the exotic pleasures of Western literature, rock music, and pop culture. With the "Prague Spring" of 1968 comes the promise of new freedoms, but those short-lived hopes are crushed in the streets of the Czech capital by Soviet tanks. Fortunately, dreams cannot be annihilated so easily.

From the Publisher

A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER “I was born at the beginning of it all, on the Red side—the Communist side—of the Iron Curtain.” Through annotated illustrations, journals, maps, and dreamscapes, Peter Sís shows what life was like for a child who loved to draw, proudly wore the red scarf of a Young Pioneer, stood guard at the giant statue of Stalin, and believed whatever he was told to believe. But adolescence brought questions. Cracks began to appear in the Iron Curtain, and news from the West slowly filtered into the country. Sís learned about beat poetry, rock ’n’ roll, blue jeans, and Coca-Cola. He let his hair grow long, secretly read banned books, and joined a rock band. Then came the Prague Spring of 1968, and for a teenager who wanted to see the world and meet the Beatles, this was a magical time. It was short-lived, however, brought to a sudden and brutal end by the Soviet-led invasion. But this brief flowering had provided a glimpse of new possibilities—creativity could be discouraged but not easily killed.

By joining memory and history, Sís takes us on his extraordinary journey: from infant with paintbrush in hand to young man borne aloft by the wings of his art.

The New York Times - Leonard S. Marcus

The story unfolds in a word-and-picture montage consisting of a spare, fable-like narrative, introductory and closing notes, a historical timeline, diary excerpts, childhood drawings, family photos and, at the center of it all, a sequence of playful but intense pen-line drawings, many of them arrayed in storyboard panels…The Wall is a brave book for acknowledging, as Sis writes, "how easy it is to brainwash a child," and for taking on a serious subject at a time when feel-good children's books are widely assumed to be what sells. It is also a challenging book, and with its blizzard of fleeting references to everything from the Hungarian uprising to the Beach Boys, 8- and 9-year-olds will most likely need a parent or other handy font of knowledge to help them make their way to the end.

The Washington Post - Karen MacPherson

Part memoir, part history and part graphic novel, The Wall makes irresistible reading. Sis, one of the few children's authors to win a MacArthur "genius" Fellowship, combines a well-paced text, detailed line drawings, family photographs and snippets from his childhood journals and early artwork to produce a book that offers young readers a personalized glimpse into history.

Publishers Weekly

Born out of a question posed to Sís (Play, Mozart, Play!) by his children ("Are you a settler, Dad?"), the author pairs his remarkable artistry with journal entries, historical context and period photography to create a powerful account of his childhood in Cold War-era Prague. Dense, finely crosshatched black-and-white drawings of parades and red-flagged houses bear stark captions: "Public displays of loyalty-compulsory. Children are encouraged to report on their families and fellow students. Parents learn to keep their opinions to themselves." Text along the bottom margin reveals young Sís's own experience: "He didn't question what he was being told. Then he found out there were things he wasn't told." The secret police, with tidy suits and pig faces, intrude into every drawing, watching and listening. As Sís grows to manhood, Eastern Europe discovers the Beatles, and the "Prague Spring of 1968" promises liberation and freedom. Instead, Soviet tanks roll in, returning the city to its previous restrictive climate. Sís rebels when possible, and in the book's final spreads, depicts himself in a bicycle, born aloft by wings made from his artwork, flying toward America and freedom, as the Berlin Wall crumbles below. Although some of Sís's other books have their source in his family's history, this one gives the adage "write what you know" biting significance. Younger readers have not yet had a graphic memoir with the power of Mausor Persepolisto call their own, but they do now. Ages 8-up. (Aug.)

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