A Small Tall Tale from the Far Far North

by Peter Sís

A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor for Picture Book Peter Sís has written and illustrated many books for children, including the Caldecott Honor books Starry Galileo Galilei and Tibet Through the Red Box . He lives in New York City with his wife and two children. "Not to be missed." (Kirkus Reviews) "Sís uses his considerable imagination to enlarge upon the stories he remembers from his childhood to create a lively, modern tall tale about Jan Welzl, a folk hero in Sís's native Czechoslovakia. Welzl finds the freedom he seeks in the vast, frozen Arctic, where he has many fantastic adventures . . . The myriad, meticulous recorded details in the illustrations will be best appreciated upon close inspection. (The Horn Book) "The artwork is a fascinating series of scenes in mottled watercolors with precise pen-and-ink drawings and stamped figures of arctic animals, snowflakes, and the like. The overall effect is mysterious . . . children will enjoy poring over the detailed drawings and maps and fitting the story together." (Booklist)

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Adventure, Czech Literature, Juvenile, Cultural, Biography

33 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

PETER SÍS is an internationally acclaimed illustrator, filmmaker, painter and author. Born in 1949 in Brno, Czechoslovakia, and grew up in Prague. He studied painting and filmmaking at the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague and the Royal College of Art in London. His animated work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. He came to America in 1982, and now lives in New York's Hudson Valley with his family. Peter Sís is the first children's book artist to be named a MacArthur Fellow. In 2012 he won The Hans Christian Andersen Award.

His many distinguished books include Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei, Tibet: Through the Red Box, Madlenka, Rainbow Rhino, The Tree of Life: Charles Darwin, The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain, and The Conference of the Birds.

Reviews

[Jassmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really do love Peter Sís's art, but I admit that if I didn't get this book as a Christmas present this wouldn't be the next book by him that I would pick up. This is a very Czech topic - and no, I don't mean because Welzl was a real Czech historical figure, I mean thematically in general. In Czech republic there is a long tradition of romanticizing indigenous cultures but in a way that is very detached from the actual indigenous cultures. And this story kind of gave me the vibes of the "white savior who loves indigenous folks and wants to help them". This story does better than many other stories, but I couldn't relax into it, because I was constantly worrying about where it will turn. It was just kind of stereotypical and even though I don't think the book crossed the border into offensive territory, I just... I mean, I would rather read Indigenous picture books than this one, even though I love Peter Sís. Ugh... Just, yeah, having a very mixed feelings over this one.

[dammydoc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Sís racconta le gesta di Jan Welzl, eroe popolare nella Cecoslovacchia della sua infanzia, autore di racconti su mirabolanti imprese compiute nel profondo Nord, tra i ghiacci e le tribù dei popoli artici. Narrazioni a tratti forse inverosimili, ma in grado di accendere la fantasia del disegnatore da bimbo, che con questo breve, denso, poetico testo illustrato gli rende omaggio e ne celebra “la quintessenza: la curiosità per la vita, il coraggio, l’integrità morale e l’amore per la natura”.
E un modo per ricordarci che un viaggio vero è tale solo se permette di perdersi, ritrovarsi, rinascere e riuscire, in fondo, a scoprire qualcosa di profondo di sé stessi.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My niece, nephew, and I enjoyed this book quite well! First of all, the illustrations are fascinating. They are deceptively stark, but the more you look at them, the more you realize how wonderfully detailed they are. The illustrations are odd, and it's going to totally depend upon the reader as to whether that is "odd in a good way," or "odd in a bad way." I found them to be a delightfully surreal cross between aboriginal art, old Eastern European folk art, and something Salvador Dali-ish in feel. I would say that I think this story would work better if the kid you're reading to can get up close to the pictures. There's a lot to look at, and some of the details are small.

Secondly, this is an adventure book, which my nephew particularly liked. There's discovery and peril, threat and heroics. It's just a grand adventure reminiscent of those early Arctic and Antarctic journeys.

Finally, my niece, nephew, and I found the ending to be clever, a little grisly, and a little funny. In other words, satisfying. This was a wonderfully strange and unique book! I kind of want to read it again for my bedtime story!

[Zuzana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quiet and illustrated better than most others

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Peter Sis book I read for the illustrations, but then enjoyed the story as well. It is a mix of fact & tall tale in telling one of the adventures of Jan Welzl, a Czech explorer of the Arctic during the late 1800/early 1900s. I think Sis excels at books like this that mix in history & geography with his imagination.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kids and I enjoyed this story of a man named Jan Welzl, whom some believe is a fictional character. If true, he was one of the first Europeans to travel through Siberia, live amongst the Eskimos and document it.

[Wyatt Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like how the man in the book had tricked the goldminers with their guns and stuff. He made them go to the shining gold mountain and they thought that it would not suck them straight to it and it did!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the prologue— I feel like everyone has that one story, whether it’s true or not, that inspires, or more like guidance throughout life.

It was cool to see Jan Welzl’s “notes” intertwined with the story.

The epilogue — talks more about the actual(?) story of Welzl.

Overall interesting.

[Carson Smithingell · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book moves very fast, some of the pages are set up weird and can be very confusing for kids of the lower age range but the pictures are amazing and have a lot of depth, the ending was interesting overall book moved fast and I didn't have a lot of fun reading it, but the pictures are super fun.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story that captures the imagination with Peter Sis’s exquisite illustrations.

[DBF · Rating 3 out of 5]

nádherně ilustrováno, textu pomálu.

[Clara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why I love it: Like the other Peter Sis books I have reviewed for PPBF this one doesn’t disappoint. Sis’s art which he does in and around the text is so graphic and detailed it is another story in itself on each page. It’s hard to separate the two they compliment each other so perfectly. He says this arctic tale is about what he always thought were Eskimo as a child, but actually are Inuit. He did not mean anything derogatory by it. As his other books there is a message. This book’s message is that gold diggers soon ruined the villages of the Inuit and asks how can we save them from further exploitation? He points to a fictional gold magnetic rock.

There is an epilogue in which Sis says “the young man who went to the far north looking for adventure will always be real. And as I reread his books, I discover their essence: a curiosity about life, courage, decency, and a love of nature. This is what impressed me as a child and has once again fired my imagination.”

[Lisa Overberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This tall tale, based on folk hero Jan Welzl's journeys, shows the difficulties of surviving in the Arctic. Indigenous people teach the intrepid explorer how to hunt, fish, and harness sled dogs after saving him from freezing to death. In turn, he protects them from invading foreigners seeking gold; they are eager to take advantage of the natives' trusting nature but Welzl diverts their attention to a magnetic mountain. The illustrations honor the Arctic people and their customs and give young people an image of the vast emptiness of the frozen Bering Sea.

Genre: Tall tale, biography, informational, picture
Reading level: 2.9
Grade level: K-2 (according to Scholastic.com - it could be read and enjoyed by 3rd graders as well, especially if they read the additional details in the epilogue.)
Lexile: 480L

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sis presents a frigidly fascinating tall tale about real life folk hero Jan Welzl and his thrilling adventures. The story is entertaining, but the author's intricate and beautiful illustrations are the real stars of the show.



Jan Welzl author of Thirty years in the golden north;

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sat on my shelves for a while because the cover didn't zing... very bland looking really. But when I opened it, I realised who had done it, and was intrigued. It was all good from there... Lovely! I enjoyed the personal nature of the prologue and the further info at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed each and every tiny illustration. And I always love it when books declare the medium or media used for the artwork, and even better if they list the typefaces as well. (Unfortunately it didn't go quite that far.)

[David Roman]

Jan Welzl's journeys, shows the difficulties of surviving in the Arctic. Indigenous people teach the intrepid explorer how to hunt, fish, and harness sled dogs after saving him from freezing to death. In turn, he protects them from invading foreigners seeking gold; they are eager to take advantage of the natives' trusting nature but Welzl diverts their attention to a magnetic mountain. The illustrations honor the Arctic people and their customs and give young people an image of the vast emptiness of the frozen Bering Sea.

[Audra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. It reminds me of a children's version of "The Last Gentleman Adventurer," which I also loved... and the illustrations are WONDERFUL, as is the book's treatment of Inuit peoples and culture. And, as one who has been to an Eskimo whaling village, I was struck by the authenticity of the drawings. While the basic text was, well, basic (hence, only four stars... :-( ), the cursive insets and the Eskimo fable are beautiful and add a lot to the story.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on a real person, this tale is definitely a tall tale--or is it?

I have a hard time with Sis's faces, but otherwise, I find his illustrations fascinating. He puts such details in them. This book reminded me a touch of his style in The Wall: there are spreads where there is a single line of text at the bottom but various smaller frames with additional narration above.

Author's note with more information on the main character included.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells the tale of Jan Welzl, a folk hero in Czechoslovakia, who may or may not have existed. His stories are now considered to be tall tales. I loved the illustrations and the concept, a lone man trying to save the wilderness and the native way of life, much like the familiar American tall tale heroes. However, I wanted more text and a taller tale. It's good but not exceptional.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful story about a CZECh folk hero named Jan Welzl who lived many years ago and traveled to the artic. This story mixes fact with tall tale to paint a fascinating story of an explore and the people he meets who became his teachers and friends. The art work is absolutly fabulous with maps, storyboards, panaromas, and a myth told in pictographs. This is a great read.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young Jan Welzl leaves Czechoslovakia for the Far North and this book tells the story of his Arctic Odyssey using poetry, maps, storyboards, and pictographs. It is visually engrossing and also sort of a sweet story about how he is helped by the native peoples of Alaska and Canada. There is something to be learned of Czech folk history and also something to be gleaned of Arctic culture.

[Evk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Česky vyšlo pod názvem Podivuhodný příběh Eskymo Welzla očima Petra Síse u nakladatelství Paseka.
Mám chuť si přečíst knihy Třicet let na zlatém Severu a Strýček Eskymák, které Sís četl v dětství a podle doslovu ho k práci na této knize inspirovaly.
Je to nádherná kniha, škoda, že nemá o pár řádek textu víc, aby komentáře k obrázkům lépe plynuly.

[Paris · Rating 2 out of 5]

The text in this book is not recommended for young readers. This book is a true story about a man named Jan Welzl and his adventure while in Anartica. This could be included with non-fiction books. I would read this book like a novel, in parts.

[Juan Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was about a guy who didn't feel comfortable where he lived. He wanted to go explore other places. He went to Alaska to find other people. I think this book had a lot of meaning to it because people were coming to Alaska for gold so they brought all their bad habits with them.

[Kip · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art is as lovely as all the other Sis books.

[Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty cool book as far as scope, ideas, and illustrations, but the text is disorganized and not fleshed out well enough.

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A picture book of Jan Welzl and his life in the Artic.

[Mila · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fascinating story and beautifully illustrated about a Czech folk hero that I bet not many people (including me) have heard about.

[Sam W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute tall tale about a man that decides to live in the far North, what he must over come, and who he meets.

[Robynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. I just so enjoy Sis' interactive style.