Q&A with Peter Sís
Illustrator of The Little Wing Giver
Why did you want to work on this book?
Something about the story reminded me of my own childhood. I loved the nostalgic feeling it evoked in me and was excited that I would be able to introduce the book to an American audience. I also feel it is a very deep story, full of hope and charm, and even a hint of sadness.
How did you get involved with this project?
Every year, the French newspaper Le Monde includes a children's story in their Christmas issue. It was thought that Jacques Taravant's story combined with my illustrations would make a wonderful Christmas tale for the 1996 issue. Jacques Taravant, a French diplomat, had originally told the story to his son Jean-Marien, without any thoughts of having it published. After many years, Jacques Taravant's other son Bruno, then the music critic for Le Monde, transcribed the story.
What is the message of the book, in your opinion?
The Little Wing Giver is, for me, a book about an "everyboy," a little boy trying to accomplish something. He's a character that people of all backgrounds can identify with. He wants to help all living creatures, to contribute to the world, yet he gets frustrated and discouraged. In the end, the boy's faith in life is redeemed by the birds and insects who won't give up on him.
What were your artistic influences in The Little Wing Giver?
While I love Renaissance painting, particularly those images of the Annunciation scene with their lavish golds and formal settings and I've always adored Fra Angelico's depiction of angels, I'd have to say there is no one specific influence. The inspiration, rather, was the poetic nature of the text.
You've lived in the United States for 19 years now. Why did you leave Czechoslovakia, where you were born and grew up? And how has living as an expatriate, an outsider, affected your life and your work?
Although I was in art school the year of the "Prague Spring", when people had more personal freedom in Czechoslovakia than at any point in many years-by the late 70s and early 80s, there was a repressive political regime in power. I was sent to America for a project in 1984 and decided to stay. I didn't realize when I left Czechoslovakia that America would become my home. Being an expatriate has had an enormous impact on my life. Had I stayed in Prague, who knows what I would have turned out to be-both as a person and as an artist. Not having been a child in America is key to my writing for children. I haven't had the experiences in childhood that American kids have, so I come with a different perspective and different expectations than a native American would.
Interview provided by the publisher--Henry Holt
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Reviews
The Little Wing Giver
Jacques Taravant
Translated by Nina Ignatowicz
Illustrated by Peter Sís
"No one knew the little boy's name or where he came from." There he was, however, walking around handing out wings from a basket that was never empty, "just like Santa Claus' bag." He not only gave wings to the birds, he even gave "wings" to the dilapidated old windmill. During a terrible storm, the boy's basket of wings was hurled into the ocean thus creating the rushing waves. One evening the little boy fell into a deep sleep. The birds attached a set of wings to his back and he flew up toward God, giving Him the idea of creating angels. While this may have worked as a bedtime story for the author's son, it lacks tension and suspense in the written form. There are puzzlements from the beginning, such as: how could God, the omnipotent Being, "forget" to hand out wings? When he remembered them, why did he give them to the little boy to dispense? It is difficult to determine the audience for this book. Sís' fanciful illustrations depict a playful young child, and he cleverly uses a water reflection and a shadow to hint at what is to come. The pastel-colored illustrations are appropriate for a young audience, but the pourqoui facets of the story, as well as the little subplots, require a more sophisticated reader. This story just never takes flight. 2001, Henry Holt, Ages 4 to 8, $14.95. Reviewer: Sharon Salluzzo
ISBN: 0-8050-6412-5
Added 09/01/01
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