Book Review of The Genius Under the Table
The Children’s Book Review
Written by Eugene Yelchin
Ages: 8-12 | 208 Pages
Publisher: Candlewick Press (2021) | ISBN-13: 978-1-5362-1552-6
What to Expect: Soviet history, family, art, politics, growing up.
Written with wry humor and not a little pathos, this autobiographical story of growing up in Soviet Russia emphasizes resilience, critical thinking, and the power of family bonds.
Growing up is not easy for Eugene Yelchin. For one thing, he lives behind the Iron Curtain, where being Jewish makes him a target for hatred and bullying and where food, housing, and free speech are all in short supply. Eugene is taught that his job in life is to be very talented and always follow the rules (of which there are many). For another thing, he has a father who is deeply disappointed by his lack of sporting ability and a mother who idolizes a ballet dancer and who is deeply disappointed by his lack of artistic talent. But none of them know that Eugene has a secret—every night, he draws amazing pictures on the underside of the dining table under which he sleeps, using a stub of pencil stolen from his father. Eugene is not good at following the rules, and that makes him a good artist but not a very good Soviet citizen. There are no easy answers and no fairy tale endings for Eugene … but at least, in drawing and painting, there is hope.
Yelchin, as narrator, is a bitingly honest observer of human character, with a child’s perspective on the ridiculousness of adult politics. He guides the reader through his memories of life behind the Iron Curtain with vivid descriptions and the funny and vivacious artwork characteristic of his award-winning illustrations. The story does not have a happy ending. Yelchin does not offer the reader tidy answers or resolutions to the questions about truth, freedom, grief, and fear that emerge during the telling. But through the narrative, a strong vein of hope offers the message that small acts of resistance will always help us survive and become stronger in the darkest times.
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About the Author
Eugene Yelchin is a Russian-American artist best known as an illustrator and writer of books for children and young adults. Yelchin is a National Book Award finalist for The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge co-authored with M. T. Anderson and the recipient of Newbery Honor for Breaking Stalin’s Nose. He received Golden Kite Award for The Haunting of Falcon House, Crystal Kite Award for illustrating Won Ton, National Jewish Book Award for illustrating The Rooster Prince of Breslov, and SCBWI Tomie DePaola Award.
Visit him at eugeneyelchinbooks.com.
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