Duncan's Way - Hardcover

Wallace, Ian

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 078942679X ISBN 13: 9780789426796

Publisher: Dk Pub, 2000

Synopsis

When his parents decide to leave their home in Newfoundland because his father can no longer work as a cod fisherman, elevenyearold Duncan tries to find a way for them to stay.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly

Wallace's (Boy of the Deeps) finely detailed, lifelike watercolor paintings convey the stark, iceberg-filled seascape of the Newfoundland coast as well as the plaintive tone of this affecting story. Duncan's father can no longer fish since the cod disappeared from the ocean; the man now spends his days baking and listlessly watching TV. Desperate to get his father "back to the sea" and prevent his family from moving away from his birthplace, 11-year-old Duncan pays a visit to Mr. Marshall, a wise friend and retired fisherman. As the two watch the man's model trains traverse a miniature landscape that duplicates their coastal town, Mr. Marshall subtly guides Duncan's thoughts until the boy verbalizes a possible solution, and the tale ends on a note of hope. The narrative may be occasionally wordy, but there is nothing extraneous in Wallace's evocative artwork. A shirt hanging on a clothesline in the foreground frames an image of Duncan and his father, talking intently on the lawn; a peek through a window into the family's simple home, which is flanked by an enormous, barren boulder and a fence in need of painting, shows Duncan's mother giving him a reassuring hug. Wallace creates some memorable portraits within this larger picture of a vanishing way of life. Ages 5-8. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Generations of Duncan's family have earned their livelihood catching cod in the waters off Newfoundland, but Duncan's father has been out of work for 18 months. Cod is no longer abundant, and many families are leaving for other parts of Canada. Duncan feels helpless, but in chatting with an adult friend while watching model trains run, he hits on an idea for a second career for his father: converting their boat into a floating bakery that delivers. The text is cumbersome, but the feelings are realistic and the setting is conveyed well. The illustrations are also mixed in quality. The use of light and shadow is striking, but the precisely painted watercolors are marred by occasional awkwardness in the depictions of humans. Not a first purchase for most libraries, but this picture book for older children will fill a gap in some collections, especially those needing materials to make unemployment more understandable. Susan Dove Lempke

Edition details

• Publisher: Dk Pub
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 078942679X
• ISBN 13: 9780789426796
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32