Out of the Way! Out of the Way! – Perfect Picture Book Friday

Spread the love

outTitle: Out of the Way! Out of the Way!

Written by: Uma Krishnaswami; illustrated by Uma Krishnaswamy

Published by: Groundwork Books, 2010

Ages: 4-8

Themes: passage of time, India, trees

Opening Lines:

A dusty path ran through a village.

People and animals

walked up and down,

going from here to there

and back again”

Synopsis:

A boy discovers a small sapling in the middle of a dusty path and sets about nurturing this baby tree. This dusty path serves animals and people, who yell, “out of the way! out of the way!. the path becomes a curving lane, around the tree, which serves bullock carts and cyclists and the people yell, “out of the way! out of the way!”. Eventually a busy road is built circimnavigating the tree, with cars and motorbikes and trucks, where drivers yell, “out of the way! out of the way!” Throughout the little boy cares for this sapling, which develops into a massive tree offering shade and pleasure for many. The tree reminds the now old man of good memories and even some of those busy people on the move take time to refresh themselves beneath the tree, “and listen”.

Why I like this book:

A lyrical Indian story inspired by a memory from the author’s childhood. The noisy change and repetitive call balance beautifully with the fluidity of the text and the nurture of life amidst the burgeoning urban chaos. This is a captivating Indian scene for me and will give the reader a beautiful glimpse into the subcontinent, with illustrations in pen & ink and blocks of colour and a traditional folk-art style. It’ a great addition to any multicultural classroom project.

Activities/Resources:

Kathi Appelt does a video interview with Uma Krishnaswami about the book.

A Brief Primer for kids on Indian folk art.

A short animated movie on Indian Folk Art.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book.  To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Books.

This entry was posted in Perfect Picture Book Friday and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

7 Responses to Out of the Way! Out of the Way! – Perfect Picture Book Friday

  1. Oh, what a beautiful story of compassion and love of nature. I like that it is told through a child. I just think I might need to get this one for myself. I love Indian stories and have a growing collection. Excellent choice!

  2. This sounds like a super story and very poetic too. Thanks so much for sharing. How was the baseball game?

  3. Joanna says:

    It’s rhythm is perfect for story and setting, Catherine.

    The ballgame was awesome! Great play and great companions!

  4. Sounds like a story about “progress” and constancy (is that a word?) of nature.

  5. Rhythm says:

    This sounds like a fine book. I like the cover. You can see the chaos there. Calm amidst chaos. Trees do that. I’m glad you enjoyed your baseball game. I hope you get to go to many more! Who won? Thanks for sharing this book!

  6. What a lovely story, Joanna! I love the message and want to get a copy for myself…that’s the problem with these beautiful picture books – you want all of them!!!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. You can also subscribe without commenting.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.