Starred Review for Publishers Weekly

With his customary mix of charm and directness, Steig (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Which Would You Rather Be?) reflects on his Bronx childhood. For the most part, the author pictures events in his trademark ink-line and watercolor images, but readers will be struck by the opening photo of a boy in short pants, climbing a tree: "In 1916, when I was eight years old, there were almost no electric lights, cars or telephones—and definitely no TV." Steig remembers his immigrant parents arguing in "German, Polish, Yiddish and English.... Who knows what they were saying? But we learned the important words." In a discomfiting image, two of the four Steig children cower in the foreground while their parents yell back and forth. Later, in more tranquil times, the whole family goes rowing, and "Pop" enjoys a cigar while listening to Caruso on the Victrola. Steig writes in short statements that give the impression of memories sparking to mind. He juxtaposes distant conflict with immediate danger: "There was a big war going on over in Europe. It was World War I./ Prince was the janitor's dog. Kids were scared of him." Throughout, his cramped, crabbed and emotive cartoons—as gruff as his voice—indicate the styles and street life of the early 20th century. Indeed, everyone from the burly moving guy to "Mom's best friend" (a wide-eyed lady in a showy dress) wears a chapeau outdoors: "There was no such thing as a hatless human being." The engrossing book closes with a current photo and no syrupy aftertaste; as usual, Steig writes and draws concisely. His autobiography extends the unspoken mantra communicated in all of his books: less is more. He leaves it to readers to bring their own experience to bear in what he leaves unspoken (or undrawn) between the lines. All ages. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Apr.)

ALA Booklist (Thu May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2003)

Steig's picture-book memoir of his immigrant childhood in the Bronx nearly 100 years ago may appeal more to adults than to kids, but as always with this master artist, there's no wistful nostalgia. The words are spare, just a line on each page. The wonderfully expressive, full-page pictures, with thick black lines and bright watercolors in shades of green and red, bring the past right here, with a wry, visceral sense of the kid's viewpoint. The adults are ridiculous (including the overdressed women with their corsets and heels and hats, sometimes with fruit) or sad (the boy watching helplessly while his mother weeps about sad news from the Old Country), always distant. Steig remembers the longing for privacy (it was impossible to be alone). And yes, there was a war on-- World War I. The hats are of the times, but the experience of the small child in a world of overpowering and weird grown-ups hasn't changed.

Horn Book (Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2003)

In this clear-eyed, affectionate look backward, the author-illustrator remembers life in 1916, when he was eight years old. Some of his memories describe the era, but most are specific to his own experiences as a child of immigrants growing up in the Bronx. Each whimsical, brief reminiscence is accompanied by a watercolor and ink cartoon that blends humor and warmth in equal measure.

Kirkus Reviews

Between portrait photos taken almost nine decades apart, Steig crustily introduces his Mom, his Pop, and his childhood world—a world where "there were almost no electric lights, cars or telephones—and definitely no TV." Like his prose, his cartoons are sketchy and childlike, passing with a turn of the page from a gory, imagined battlefield scene to views of the janitor's tough-looking dog and other neighborhood pets. He barely shows or mentions siblings, friends, or his Bronx neighborhood—and even younger viewers will notice that, despite the title, many of his figures are hatless. So what will children get from this? Next to that whippersnapper James Stevenson's When I Was Nine (1986), but still distant, generation, not much more than the bare hint that Steig, too, was young. (Picture book. 6-8)

School Library Journal

Gr 1 Up-In 1916, Steig was eight years old. This autobiography describes that year of his life. The somewhat disjointed recollections are recounted in a stream-of-consciousness style and will evoke nostalgia in adults and surprise in children-fire engines pulled by horses, five-cent movies and hot dogs, no TV, a wind-up phonograph. Like elementary school drawings taped to the refrigerator, the childlike, watercolor artwork that accompanies the memories features flattened tables, nostrils on the sides of noses, and a sidewalk extending up into the air. Yet the illustrations' na vet belies their underlying sophistication. With a few spare lines, the artist manages to convey body language, facial expression, and gesture. For example, the picture of young Steig clinging to his sister as his parents fight is poignant; the eyes may be simple dots inside ovals, but they convey worlds of information about the children's anxiety. There were upbeat times for the family as well, in spite of the ongoing World War I. Steig reveals his childhood crush, daily activities, and dreams for the future. Black-and-white photos of the author on the first and last pages (one as a child and one as he appears now) and the cover art (front and back views of a youngster in a hat) bring this reminiscence full circle. Given the subject matter and lack of plot, this book seems aimed at Steig's adult fans.-Laurie Edwards, West Shore School District, Camp Hill, PA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.