Soon, Annala

While eagerly awaiting the arrival of her two younger brothers from the old country, Anna tries to speak more English and less Yiddish

Grade 1-3-"'When will they come?'" Anna Sarah asks her mother every night. She answers, "'Soon, darling. Soon.'" In this sequel to Watch the Stars Come Out (Dutton, 1985), Anna's two younger brothers, from whom she has been separated for nearly a year, are coming from Poland with their aunt and uncle, and finally arrive in New York for a wondrously joyous family reunion. That night, as the little girl and her brothers watch the stars come out, the boys begin to count them in Yiddish. Anna corrects them-"'In English...One, two, three.'" Downing's full-page watercolor illustrations, with soft hues of brown, blue, and green predominating, capture the warmth and love of the household. Although the story is ultimately satisfying, it lacks some of the understated humor and the intriguing, detailed pictures of the first book.
Diane S. Marton, Arlington County Library, VA
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Anna can't wait for her little brothers to rejoin the family in New York. They've been apart for so long--it's already 1911, nearly a year since Anna, her older sister and brother and their parents left Kolbuszowa to forge a new life in America. Finally, word comes that Anna's aunt and uncle have booked passage for themselves and the boys (and a new baby as well). On the day they're due to arrive, Annala (the Yiddish diminutive used by her parents) waits anxiously on the wharf as several ferries unload passengers from Ellis Island--until the much-anticipated reunion at last takes place. In her conclusion to Watch the Stars Come Out , Levinson gracefully portrays narrator Anna's delight in her new country, as well as her eagerness to see her cherished siblings again. The story exudes warmth, a quality reinforced by Downing's ( A Ride on the Red Mare's Back ) light-drenched watercolors. Although some of the illustrations seem two-dimensional and not up to Downing's usual standard (perhaps due in part to the more subdued palette she's chosen), all of them skillfully communicate the love shared by this close-knit family. Like a picture book predecessor to Sydney Taylor's All-of-a-Kind Family, this story neatly and sweetly conveys one of the many facets of the American immigrant experience. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Completing the story of one family's 1910 immigration to New York (Watch the Stars Come Out, 1985, ALA Notable), Levinson focuses on middle child Annala, who's beginning to learn English while she waits impatiently for little Sammy and Elly, left behind with Aunt Marya. At last, the great day arrives: Aunt, uncle, their new baby, and Sammy and Ella are joyfully received; that night, as the stars come out, Annala begins to teach her brother and sister to count in English. The story holds attention with its focus on the anticipated reunion and its authentic, well-integrated details of life in the new country; Downing reflects the warm, realistic tone in soft, beautifully composed watercolors--a contrast to Diane Goode's elegantly stylized art for the earlier book but appropriate. (Picture book/Young reader. 5-9) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Ages 3-7. According to the publisher, this is a "heartening conclusion" to the early-twentieth-century immigrant story Watch the Stars Come Out (1985), written by Levinson and illustrated by Diane Goode. Red-haired Anna Sarah can't wait until her beloved brothers are able to join her and their family in America. She tries to be patient and concentrate on each day's activities (learning English, for example), but she can't help thinking of all the wonderful things about her life in the new country that she will share with her brothers. When they finally arrive, everything's just as she hoped. Best of all, she can watch the stars come out with the boys snuggled by her side. Like Watch the Stars Come Out, this story is also simply and warmly told. The art styles of the two books differ markedly, though. Downing's realistic, painterly watercolors, focusing on Anna Sarah and her close-knit family, are not at all like Goode's hazy, dappled double-page spreads, which reveal the immigrant experience from a broad perspective. Because of this, it's difficult to connect the two books, despite the flap copy. But Soon, Annala has a quiet charm that succeeds on its own. The nostalgic glow of Downing's pictures and the loving portrayal of Anna Sarah and her family presented in both art and text will capture young listeners and whisk them back to an earlier time. Stephanie Zvirin