Yanosh's Island - Hardcover

Grade 1-3 Yanosh, an eccentric inventor, is obsessed by his search for an island which he glimpsed briefly as a child. Two children bring him a movable toy to be fixed. After he appropriates a nut from the toy, Yanosh finishes his one-seater airplane and takes off over the ocean. The next day, the children find Yanosh and the remains of the plane in the woods behind his house. Yanosh promptly decides to build a submarine to continue the search. This story is an unsatisfying one. The characters lack the depth and warmth found in Abolafia's My Three Uncles (Greenwillow, 1984), and the ending is flat. The illustrations, cartoonish watercolor drawings, show a growth in Abolafia's style and technique. They give the story an interest and a charm which are missing from the text. Ellen Loughran, Brooklyn Public Library
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

When Vicky and David bring a broken toy to Yanosh the fix-it man, they little realize that their toy contains the last bolt Yanosh needs to complete the old propeller plane he's building in his garage. What follows is a long awaited flight in search of the lost island Yanosh has waited many years to reclaim. Yanosh is contentedly enjoying his rediscovered island until the children appear and reveal that he's only a short distance from home. In a clever role reversal, the children become the supporters who encourage Yanosh's imaginative and adventurous spirit. Abolafia complements this charming fantasy with delightful watercolors dotted with humorous scenes. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.