The Wall

The Wall

By Peter Sis

Frances Foster Books

Copyright 2007

pp.50

The Wall

Required

      A visually powerful book! Sis’s use of line, space, and color is outstanding and very symbolic. The reader is taken on an incredible journey of communist Czechoslovakia through the eyes of a growing child. Along with the story, there is informational text next to each of the illustrations. The informational text helps to give the reader essential background information about the communist regime. I have often wondered how people could become dutiful servants of such a regime, now I realize they grew up not knowing anything different. There was no free will. Sis symbolizes this constraint through the use of the color red. The only other colors are shown when the boy is drawing for himself. He still has part of his spirit alive, a part the government try as they might can not take away.

      Sis also includes portions of his personnel journals in the text. These pages are full of color, enthusiasm, and hope. I thought it was interesting how music seemed to play such an important role in his life and in the spread of western thoughts and ideas. Many parents in the United States also thought the Beatles and Elvis were going to ruin society, but at least U.S. teenagers were able to freely make their own choices.

      I would definitely include this book in my middle school language arts, history or art library, as there are many lessons for students to discover within the layers of this outstanding book.