A Day's Work
- Book Review,
by Eve Bunting, Ronald Himler (Illustrator)
From Publishers Weekly
Francisco, trying to find work for his grandfather, or abuelo, who has just arrived from Mexico, acts as a liaison between Abuelo, who doesn't speak English, and Ben, who wants to hire a gardener for a day's work. Eager to earn the badly needed pay, Francisco assures Ben that his grandfather is a skilled gardener (Abuelo is in fact a carpenter). Returning at the end of the day, Ben is shocked to discover that Francisco and Abuelo stripped his field of the plants and left the weeds. Abuelo is also angered, learning only now that Francisco had lied to Ben, and refuses payment until they have done the job correctly. Recognizing the older man's integrity, Ben rewards Abuelo and Francisco with the promise of "more than just one day's work." Says Ben of the plants: "The roots are still there. If they've replanted early, they'll be alright." Similarly, Francisco is given a chance to start over. He changes from a naively parental figure to a child who "had begun to learn the important things." The shift in the boy's role quietly suggests not only the importance of a work ethic but also Francisco's need to be a child, guided by a caring adult. With expressive, gestural watercolors, Himler, who illustrated Bunting's Fly Away Home and Someday a Tree, conveys the boy's complex relationship with his grandfather and strongly invokes both the harsh and the tender landscapes of Francisco's world. Ages 5-8. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3 - Joe Fox wonderfully narrates Eve Bunting's (Clarion Books, 1994) tender story of Francisco and his abuelo, grandfather, looking for work as day laborers. Abuelo doesn't speak English, so Francisco joins him as translator. However, Francisco's desire for work leads to a lie, which causes trouble for him and his grandfather. In the end, Francisco and listeners learn a powerful lesson. Youngsters will also get a glimpse into the world of modern immigration and labor. The narration compliments the story with a gentle tone and change of voice for each character. Page-turn signals and musical interludes that express the characters' Mexican heritage are included on one side of the cassette. The book and tape may have to be repackaged since the carry along bag may not be sturdy enough for library circulation. - April R. Mazza, Wayland Free Public Library, MA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Ages 5-8. The author and illustrator of The Wall (1990) and Fly Away Home (1991) here tell a touching immigration story about the reversal of roles between child and adult. A small Mexican American boy, Francisco acts as interpreter for his abuelo, newly arrived in California and looking for work as a day laborer. The boy speaks English for his grandfather and pushes hard, even tells lies, to get him a job as a gardener. Abuelo's a carpenter, not a gardener, and he and Francisco pull out the flowers instead of the weeds. The employer is furious, but then abuelo takes charge and insists on working the next day without pay to put things right. Himler's watercolor and gouache paintings have warmth and urgency; they're sensitive without being maudlin. The characters of the all-male cast are wonderfully individualized: the lively boy in his Lakers cap is eager to make things happen; the grandfather is bewildered but with an inner certainty; the employer is angry but is no monster. In the tense competition among the laborers in the hiring yard, we feel the desperation of people without work. The family drama captures that universal immigrant experience in which the child must help the adult interpret the new world, while the wise adult still has much to teach the child about enduring values. Hazel Rochman
From Kirkus Reviews
Award-winning author Bunting's (Night of the Gargoyles, p. 1122, etc.; The In-Between Days, see below) persuasive moral tale about a young Mexican boy in contemporary California who lies in order to help his family. Francisco accompanies his grandfather to get work as a day laborer because grandfather, or ``Abuelo,'' doesn't speak English. When a man comes along asking for a gardener, Francisco eagerly tells him that Abuelo is an excellent gardener. But as it turns out, neither Abuelo nor Francisco knows much about plants, and instead of pulling out the weeds, they pull out all the healthy new plants instead. The man who hired them is angry, and Abuelo is confused, until he learns the extent of his grandson's involvement in the mistake. Francisco is ashamed of what he has done and admires Abuelo's dignity under the circumstances: Abuelo insists on doing the job right and will not accept the man's offer of payment until it has been done. Himler's gentle watercolor illustrations capture the hot, dry landscape and the cowed, yet hopeful, postures of immigrants seeking to make their way in a new land. A fine, moving story that manages to convey an important moral message without sounding preachy or didactic. (Fiction/Picture book. 5-8) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Review
"Bunting perfectly captures the intergenerational love and respect shared by these two characters and the man's strong sense of honesty and integrity. Himler's softly colored illustrations reflect the feelings of the characters and setting."
Review
"Bunting perfectly captures the intergenerational love and respect shared by these two characters and the man's strong sense of honesty and integrity. Himler's softly colored illustrations reflect the feelings of the characters and setting."
Book Description
Francisco, a young Mexican-American boy, helps his grandfather find work as a gardener, even though the old man cannot speak English and knows nothing about gardening.
Card catalog description
When Francisco, a young Mexican American boy, tries to help his grandfather find work, he discovers that even though the old man cannot speak English, he has something even more valuable to teach Francisco.
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