The man who kept his heart in a bucket - Softcover

Levitin, Sonia

4.09

87 ratings by Goodreads

9780590459228: The man who kept his heart in a bucket

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0590459228 ISBN 13: 9780590459228

Publisher: Scholastic, 1994

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The Man Who Kept His Heart in a Bucket is about a young man, Jack, who due to bitter experience keeps his heart in a bucket but then loses it.

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From School Library Journal:

Grade 3-5-- Young Jack, the village tinker, can keep his mind on his busines of making pots and pans as long as he carries his heart--once broken--in a bucket. Of course, he feels no delight in tasting the baker's finest pie, or hearing the piper's music, or hugging a new baby at a farm. But when he stops for water, dipping his bucket into a stream, he loses his heart to a great carp that leaps into the air and becomes a beautiful maiden. She gives him a riddle in exchange: Jack will get his heart back when he finds three golden scales. By the time Jack accomplishes this, he knows that a heart is useless in a bucket. Levitin's cleverly created story, structured like a traditional folktale, is enhanced by Pinkney's watercolor and pencil scenes of ruddy-cheeked Eastern European peasants, thatched roof cottages, and lush green countryside. The moral of the story, that a heart should be in the right place, brings a touch of romance and a satisfying ending to the tale. --Shirley Wilton, Ocean County College, Toms River, NJ
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews:

In a literary fable with a pleasing folkloric lilt, a respected YA novelist tells an inviting story about love. Because it was once broken, Jack keeps his heart safe in a bucket; unfortunately, that leaves him unresponsive to joys like music or a baby's charms. His salvation comes in the form of a golden carp, transformed into a maiden who steals the heart but promises to return it when he can answer her teasing riddle. Having lost his heart, Jack finds the joys he's been missing, with each happy discovery providing a clue to the riddle until-- with an exchange of hearts--a wedding is celebrated. Adroitly, Levitin weaves an intriguing pattern, her playful, economical language and precisely chosen details all pointing toward the happy resolution. Pinkney's dappled, impressionistic watercolors depict an idyllic old-time world, his lively characterizations reinforcing the sense of a companionable, close-knit community. (Picture book. 4-10) -- Copyright �1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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