Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart by Vera B. Williams - Available

Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart

The Story of Amber and Essie, Told Here in Poems and Pictures

by Vera B. Williams
Barbara Rosenblat
Audiobook
5 of 5 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
5 of 5 copies available

"...The story follows two young sisters, and is told in unrhymed poetry and song...Listeners will cherish this sweet treasure." –School Library Journal

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    April 28, 2016

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781430124931
      • File size: 13368 KB
      • Duration: 00:27:50

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • ATOS Level: 4.2
    • Interest Level: 4-8(MG)

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Vera Williams zooms in on a moment of family difficulty and champions the inner strength of two sisters. In free verse accompanied by colored pencil drawings, Williams introduces Amber and Essie, who find solace in each other and support from the neighbors while their mother works and their father is temporarily away. With two accompanying narrators, Barbara Rosenblat captures the fragility of each sister and balances that with resiliency and humor. The interplay of the three voices makes each poignant vignette immediate and tangible. Who is moving in upstairs? What is a "best sandwich"? Who is standing in the doorway? Listen in and look and be ready to laugh and cry. A.R. 2004 ALA Notable Recording (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from April 26, 2004
      In our Best Books citation, PW
      wrote, "Through a pastiche of poems and pictures, Williams presents a moving and timeless portrait of two young sisters in a struggling family." Ages 7-up.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from August 27, 2001
      Through a pastiche of poems and pictures, Williams (A Chair for My Mother) presents an affecting portrait of two young sisters in a struggling family. In the opening entry, readers learn why older Essie is smart (she "could read hard library books/ .../ thread a needle,/ cook toasted cheese sandwiches/ make cocoa") and why Amber is brave ("She could get the grocery man/ to trust them for a container of milk/ though their mother/ couldn't pay him till payday/ Amber wasn't afraid of the rat/ in the wall under the sink"). Gradually, readers learn about the challenges they face: their mother works long hours, their father is in jail for check forgery, the radiator grows cold in the evenings and there is little food. Yet there are lighthearted moments, as when the sisters make a "best sandwich" (with Amber on one side, Essie on the other, and Wilson The Bear in the middle), shriek with laughter as they jump on the bed and share a weekly ritual of playing beauty parlor with their mother. In perhaps the most poignant passage, Amber cuts off her braids "to send to Daddy/ so he'll be sure to remember me." The tale closes on an upbeat note when Daddy appears at the door. Williams opens with full-color portraits of the girls and closes with pastel drawings of the more dramatic moments; she punctuates the poems with black-and-white pencil drawings that convey the deep affection between these sympathetic sisters. Though the author taps into difficult themes, by relaying the events through the eyes of the two girls, she maintains a ray of hope throughout the volume. Ages 7-up.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:4.2
  • Interest Level:4-8(MG)

Loading