Screenwriter, director and producer Gary Ross has won plaudits for his work in each of those fields and he’s about to receive another high-five from me for his first children’s book. Bartholomew Biddle is a winner, filled with excitement, surprise, adventure and a moral - all delivered in rhyme.
Bartholomew is five feet of derring-do who cannot resist the call of a gusty wind that blows by his window one night. In a matter of seconds he has grabbed the corners of his bed sheet, stood on the window sill and realized that “...this silly old wind was nothing to fear with a bed sheet to sail and an instinct to steer.”
He took quite a ride on this “granddaddy of Winds” first landing in a treetop bed where he spends the night. With morning he discovers he’s on an island inhabited by pirates. Surprisingly enough, the buccaneers turn out to be friendly and soon Bartholomew joins them in a succession of days filled with fun. However, all realize that constant fun isn’t fun if that’s all you know, So, Bartholomew waits for the right wind and takes off again.
He enjoys several adventures and makes a good friend before realizing that he should be going home. What he finds when he gets there is a worthy lesson for both young ones and their parents.
Full color paintings by Matthew Myers bring added life to the tale.
Highly recommended.
- Gail Cooke
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