Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

In this wordless picture book, a light-skinned man moves from a peaceful protest march with his young child to imprisonment for his views and finally back to his home—with the help of letters from around the world. The cartoons are masterful black-ink sketches with highlights of watercolor. Placards carried by the man and his cohorts bear bright red, filled-in circles, similar to the appearance of his daughter's balloon. When the amorphous, peaceful band of protestors reaches an official-looking building, a frightening, well-organized phalanx of dark-blue soldiers in helmets appears, threatening violence. One soldier injures the man, who is then dragged into an ambulance. Not brutal enough? The soldier deliberately pops the daughter's balloon. The man languishes in solitary confinement, sharing bread crumbs with a mouse and a bird. The cartoons illustrate the prisoner's experiences of nostalgia, tedium, and hopelessness. When letters start arriving, the man's joy is short-lived; the guard burns them. But as diverse groups and individuals send more and more letters, the dark smoke sends an SOS around the world. An image both beautiful and funny shows the man flying on wings of letters, as the guard below utters profanities. An author's note (translated by Angela Keenlyside) informs readers that Goldstyn was inspired by the letter-writing campaigns of human rights organization Amnesty International. His book is an accessible and inspiring tribute. "The pen is mightier than the sword" lives on. (author's note) (Picture book. 8-12)

ALA Booklist (Sat Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

In this wordless picture book, a man and his daughter participate in a peaceful protest, which ends when authorities attack and arrest the man. Thrown into solitary confinement, he counts the days and remembers happier times. Then a bird delivers first one and, later, multiple letters of support, buoying his spirits and annoying his guards, who rip up, confiscate, and burn the missives. Finally, the flood of support becomes so great that the man is able to escape on wings crafted from his many communiqués. Political cartoonist Goldstyn's art makes use of graphic conventions (especially frameless panels), employing color (notably reds and blues) and simple compositions to good effect. His daughter's red balloon reminds the man of happier times, while the black smoke from the burning letters forms an SOS that alerts the world to his plight. Originally published in French, with an afterword explaining Amnesty International's Write for Rights campaign, and dedicated to imprisoned Saudi activist Raif Badawi, this is sure to spark discussions of human rights and social justice.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

In this wordless picture book, a light-skinned man moves from a peaceful protest march with his young child to imprisonment for his views and finally back to his home—with the help of letters from around the world. The cartoons are masterful black-ink sketches with highlights of watercolor. Placards carried by the man and his cohorts bear bright red, filled-in circles, similar to the appearance of his daughter's balloon. When the amorphous, peaceful band of protestors reaches an official-looking building, a frightening, well-organized phalanx of dark-blue soldiers in helmets appears, threatening violence. One soldier injures the man, who is then dragged into an ambulance. Not brutal enough? The soldier deliberately pops the daughter's balloon. The man languishes in solitary confinement, sharing bread crumbs with a mouse and a bird. The cartoons illustrate the prisoner's experiences of nostalgia, tedium, and hopelessness. When letters start arriving, the man's joy is short-lived; the guard burns them. But as diverse groups and individuals send more and more letters, the dark smoke sends an SOS around the world. An image both beautiful and funny shows the man flying on wings of letters, as the guard below utters profanities. An author's note (translated by Angela Keenlyside) informs readers that Goldstyn was inspired by the letter-writing campaigns of human rights organization Amnesty International. His book is an accessible and inspiring tribute. "The pen is mightier than the sword" lives on. (author's note) (Picture book. 8-12)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Explaining Amnesty International-s letter-writing campaigns to a child is no small task. It requires describing oppressive military governments, defining free speech, and recalling the influence that letters have had on the fates of prisoners. In a nearly wordless book, French author-illustrator Goldstyn achieves all of this with a light ink line and a big heart. A man at a political demonstration with his daughter is detained and imprisoned alone; a guard marches around his cell. Initial letters sent to the man are burned, but the wind carries their fragments (-We are with you-; -No te olvidamos-) to all points of the world, calling for help. A wild assortment of characters writes letters urging the prisoner-s release: a cowboy, a circus clown, a construction worker sitting on an I beam. Goldstyn-s sweet-tempered, loopy drawing style takes much of the sting out of the story-s sadness-his humans have big bulbous noses, and small, cheerful animals abound. Yet he isn-t afraid of strong emotion, and many readers will find themselves tearing up. This deserves to be everywhere children are learning about the wider world. Ages 5-up. (Sept.)

School Library Journal (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

Gr 2-5In this wordless picture book about the power of communication and the plight of political prisoners, a man and his daughter march in a protest. A bright red circle symbolizes their cause (and matches her balloon). Riot police, their thoughts and opinions expressed by a black square, hit the father on the head, pop the girl's balloon, and take him away to a desolate prison, where letters begin arriving to the prisoner by way of a bird and mouse. When the letters are burned by the prison guard, the smoke carries the message across the world, which results in enough letters pouring in to create wings for the prisoner to fly away to reunite with his daughter. Goldstyn's watercolor, ink, and colored pencil drawings in a loose style on a white background, reminiscent of the work of Matthew Cordell, are expressive and don't need words. The wordlessness and nonspecific issues make this book universal with a magical realism twist. The story roots itself in real-life issues through back matter about the author's experience with Write for Rights, Amnesty International's global letter-writing campaign to people with authority or people fighting for human rights, and the book is dedicated to Raif Badawi, a Saudi activist and political prisoner, and his family. VERDICT An elegant picture book tribute to the power of organizing and the plight of political prisoners, best suited for older readers. A first purchase.Lisa Nowlain, Nevada County Community Library, CA