Peppe the Lamplighter

Bartone deftly vivifies a slice of American history--and the immigrant experience--in this touching story of a boy's quest to win his sick father's respect. In New York City's Little Italy at the turn of the century, Peppe must support his eight sisters and cantankerous father. His job as lamplighter takes on mythic proportions as he brings light to the streets--"a small flame of promise for the future"--and eventually drives away the doubts that darken his father's heart. With its evocative descriptions of an earlier era, Bartone's thoughtful, fluid text, while uniquely personal, is universal in scope. Lewin's dramatically rendered watercolors, their grim realism shot through with lamplight, perfectly suit the mood. These detailed street scenes, with their honest faces and authentic period garb, exhibit a cinematic sweep that proves quite remarkable. (Interior scenes, rich in the play of light and shadow, are equally striking.) The story ends on a sentimental note, but the earnest paintings keep it from seeming trite. Ages 6-up. (Apr.)

Gr 2-5-- Peppe, a young immigrant, lives in a tenement in Little Italy in the early 1900s. His mother is dead, his father is ill, and the boy must help support his eight sisters. The street lamplighter offers him a temporary job, and Peppe accepts with pride and excitement. His father disapproves, but the girls encourage him. Peppe imagines each light to be "a small flame of promise for the future" and makes a wish for those he loves at each lamp. His father's continued disapproval discourages him and makes him so ashamed that one night he gives up. This night, his youngest sister does not come home because she is afraid of the dark. Peppe's father then pleads with him to light the lamps, admitting it is an important job. This is a pleasant story about a boy's aspirations and the values that shape character. The brilliant color illustrations are perfect in capturing the flavor of the neighborhood. They give a strong sense of time and place. The play of light from the streetlamps and kerosene lamps is especially striking, and the composition of each page is so embracing that readers will feel taken in, whether it is an interior scene or a sweeping streetscape. A solid, refreshing selection that can stand on its own, but would be great to use with immigrant studies. --Barbara Peklo Abrahams, Oneida City Schools, Manlius, NY