Esmé tells us about the night she and her mother became "egg vigilantes" against an illegally parked car; her freewheeling first school, where kids sat on sofas instead of at desks and could choose disco dancing instead of math; her dangerous neighborhood, which her father made seem friendly and wondrous; the Passover dinner when she stole a matzoh right out from under a rabbi; the awe-inspiring, life-threatening Chicago snowstorms; and lessons about love from tea-reading gypsies and Popeye cartoons.
In stories that perfectly evoke the perspective of her ten-year-old self, author Esmé Raji Codell demonstrates her gift for making the ordinary extraordinary, and the unusual familiar. Sing a Song of Tuna Fish is a memoir of a Chicago childhood; a tribute to the art of attention; and most of all, a joyful listening experience for kids and families.
Fifth-grader Esmé has been told all her life that she is a child who is "broke," but the memories she has of her life growing up in urban Chicago reveal a life rich in adventure, unique experiences, and love. Since Esmé Raji Codell reads her own story, the listener is provided with the opportunity to engage with it exactly the way she intends. One might assume this is a story for children, but, while it is suitable for children, adults will find themselves smiling and reminiscing about their old neighborhoods and the creative ways they used to pass the time. S.K.P. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine
