The Doorman's Repose - Hardcover

Raschka, Chris

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1681371006 ISBN 13: 9781681371009

Publisher: NYR Children's Collection, 2017

Synopsis

From Caldecott Award winner Chris Raschka, tales of unforgettable characters who live in a NYC apartment building

“To the company of ur-New Yorkers like Stuart Little, Harriet the Spy, and Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, let me hold open the door for The Doorman’s Repose. A new favorite." —Gregory Maguire

“….marvelously intriguing stories…” —Lemony Snicket

Some of us look up at those craggy, mysterious apartment buildings found in the posher parts of New York City and wonder what goes on inside. The Doorman’s Repose collects ten stories about 777 Garden Avenue, one of the craggiest. The first story recounts the travails of the new doorman, who excels at all his tasks except perhaps the most important one—talking baseball. Others tell of a long-forgotten room, a cupid-like elevator, and the unlikely romance of a cerebral psychologist and a jazz musician, both of whom are mice. Because the animals talk and the machinery has feelings, these are children’s stories. Otherwise they are for anyone intrigued by what happens when many people, strangers or kin, live together under one roof.

About this title

About the Author

Chris Raschka has made more than sixty books for children, including Yo! Yes?, Five for a Little One, A Ball for  Daisy, and, with Vladimir Radunsky, Alphabetabum, which is published by The New York Review Children’s Collection. His work has earned one Caldecott Honor and two Caldecott Medals, as well as the Ezra Jack Keats Award, and his books have been selected five times for The New York Times Best Illustrated Books list. He lives in New York City.

Reviews

Gr 4–7—A celebrated picture book author/illustrator turns his considerable creativity to a longer form. Eleven related stories all take place in a New York City apartment building. Leisurely, playful narration from an unnamed resident of the building immerses readers in a world that's imaginative, quirky, and often surprising. The narrator clearly loves the building and most of its inhabitants, which comes through in the telling. Human characters include the doorman and several interesting residents, young and old. A girl helps the super repair a depressed boiler in one story; another involves the inspection of the building's designated opera singer. Two stories feature mice, whose occupations include a boxer, a psychiatrist, and a jazz musician. There's even a sentient elevator named Otis; he is also a matchmaker. Readers gradually learn a bit more about the building and its history with each story. Themes of kindness and human (and animal) connectedness run through most of the tales, and these are summarized triumphantly by the doorman himself in the final chapter. Full-page black-and-white drawings provide pleasing introductions to each chapter, with more illustrations appearing throughout the book. VERDICT Plots about pigeon tenders, insomniac men, and old-fashioned elevators are not likely to grab the attention of young kids on their own, but this will make a good match for the right readers and also serve as an excellent recommendation for adults reading aloud to children.—Steven Engelfried, Wilsonville Public Library, OR

Edition details

• Publisher: NYR Children's Collection
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1681371006
• ISBN 13: 9781681371009
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 184