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Revision as of 11:04, 6 May 2018
, 11:04, 6 May 2018no edit summary
{{infoboxinfobox1
|title=Sadie the Airmail Pilot
|author=Kellie Strom
|buy=No
|borrow=Maybe
|pages=32
|publisher=David Fickling Books
|date=1 Feb February 2007
|isbn=978-0385605069
|amazonukcover=<amazonuk>0385605064</amazonuk>0552548790|aznuk=0552548790|amazonusaznus=<amazonus>0385605064</amazonus>
}}
I was in a true conundrum about ''Sadie the Airmail Pilot''. In fact, I still am as I am writing this review. It's rarely that one meets a picture book in which the contrast between the picture part and the text part is so huge.
Then, there was the story - a story of Air Mail pilots, flying the dare-devil missions from that fantastic city, over that wondrous countryside; and specifically, Sadie, the little cat who takes the mail to the remote, wind-beaten weather station at Knuckle Point, risks her life to deliver the mail (including the love letters and the shopping catalogue), survives a crash and then gets rescued by a friendly mammoth called Igor only to be immediately sent on another mission by her rather slave-driving elephant boss.
I wondered how many children would be able to identify with or even understand the point of "The winds may blow ice and snow, But still the Air Mail has to go"; and the Chief seemed a singularly slave-driving type of bully. But small children have surprisingly authoritarian minds (c.f. the Fat Controller and the feudal reverence given to him by the engines) so I don't think they would be bothered, though I couldn't stop feeling that Sadie should perhaps refuse to fly another mission before being fed and having a sleep. But (don't laugh) there was a vague reminiscence of Exupery's [[''Southern Mail]] '' and a reminder of the romantic, pioneering days of aviation.
Some readers might also worry about the message that seems to preach bravado and praise pressing on with a task whatever the dangers: I personally think that even little children are rather well aware of the difference between what is essentially a fairy tale and real life and won't necessarily attempt to apply such principles to their lives.
Bookbag would like to thank the publishers of ''Sadie the Airmail Pilot'' for sending us a copy of the book.
{{amazontext|amazon=0552548790}}{{amazonUStext|amazon=0385605064}}
{{commenthead}}
|name=Jill
|verb=said
|comment= What a great review. I wonder if there are parents who object much less strenuously to poor text if the illustrations are good - we two are word people, not picture people, aren't we? How do you feel about uninspiring pictures with great text? As strongly or less so?
Children ARE authoritarian. Occasionally, in tellings off, I might ask mine what they consider to be an appropriate punishment, and what they suggest (quite seriously) is without fail worse than anything I had in mind.
}}
{{comment
|name=Magda
|verb=replied
|comment=Thanks,
I don't know why. I am less discerning regarding visuals, probably; it takes 'The Watchtower' style to offend me, and even that I can live with in context.
But mainly it's the fact that I HAVE TO READ THE BLOODY THINGS. And as you probably know, it's more painful to read 5 minutes of bad text then 25 minutes of a good one.
}}
{{comment
|name=mail@balsko.com
|verb=said
|comment= The author is a he, not a she.
The book is not a translation as, unlike the reviewer, English is his first language.
}}
{{comment
|name=Sue
|verb=said
|comment= Thanks for pointing out our mistake about the sex of the author. We apologise for that and it's now been corrected.
}}
