The Man Who Kept His Heart in a Bucket - Hardcover

Levitin, Sonia

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0803710305 ISBN 13: 9780803710306

Publisher: Dial, 1991

Synopsis

Having once had his heart broken, Jack keeps it in a bucket safe from harm until one day a young maiden asks him to solve a riddle which teaches him the true meaning of love

About this title

From Publishers Weekly:

Love is always worth the risk--that's the message pulsing through this thoroughly captivating story firmly rooted in the folktale tradition. Jack is a lad whose heart was once broken, and he now keeps it in a bucket, safe from harm. Fearful of rejection, he holds himself aloof from friends and neighbors, allowing nothing--neither delicious food generously shared, a lilting melody, a baby--to move or engage him. Magic cracks his resolve, though, when a carp is transformed into a maiden who steals his heart, promising to return it only when he's solved a riddle. He does so, losing his heart to the maiden but thereby gaining the richness of spirit he lacked. Levitin ( Incident at Loring Groves ; The Return ), is in fine form here; her eloquent, fluid story is a celebration of life and of love. Pinkney's ( The Talking Eggs ; Mirandy and Brother Wind ) dreamy, evocative watercolors, as subtly shaded as the dawn, are brimming with vitality and joy, though some readers may find his rather toothy characters--all of whom bear a curious resemblance to one another--a bit off-putting. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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.

About this edition

• Publisher: Dial
• Publication date: 1991
• ISBN 10: 0803710305
• ISBN 13: 9780803710306
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Pinkney Jerry