Reviews

Review written by British Author Susan Lewis, Author of 56 Books

Dear Bob Bartel,

I recently read Dora and the Yellow Strawstack, and I wanted to reach out because your book approaches the genre of children's historical storytelling with a rare combination of gentle adventure and authentic warmth. You transport young readers to a 1929 farm, not as a distant, romanticized place, but as a vibrant world of excitement, curiosity, and very real, tangible lessons about family and resourcefulness.

What struck me most was the balance you maintain between a charming, suspenseful narrative and its foundation as a true story. The adventure of Dora and Henry on the strawstack a place from which they can see their whole world, yet which holds the danger of quicksand, is a perfect metaphor for childhood itself: full of wonder that requires quick thinking and the safety of loved ones. Chad Thompson’s illustrations undoubtedly bring this world to life, helping children connect with the horses, wagons, and machines of the era. The result feels less like a simple period piece and more like an invitation: “Climb up onto this strawstack with Dora and Henry. See the harvest through their eyes, feel the thrill and the fear, and remember that the bonds of love are the most reliable safety net of all.”

In a children's literary landscape that can sometimes prioritize fantasy over relatable history, your true, family-centered story is refreshing. You give young readers and their families not just an engaging tale, but a meaningful connection to the past, a subtle lesson in problem-solving, and a comforting reminder of family support.

As an author drawnto stories that bridge generations and explore the foundations of our experiences, I found your book to be a lovely contribution. ….

Thank you for offering such a charming, authentic, and loving adventure. Your book gives young readers a joyful glimpse into the past and a timeless lesson about the people who are always there to help.

DORA AND THE YELLOW STRAWSTACK -Kirkus Reviews

by Bob Bartel ; illustrated by Chad Thompson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 19, 2024

An exciting tale of misadventure and rescue. - Kirkus Reviews

Alittle girl and her brother get in a bit of trouble on a farm in Bartel’s illustrated children’s book.

In this tale, set roughly a century in the past, Dora is a little girl who does everything with her big brother, Henry. One day, she spots a harvest parade arriving to their farm and calls out to her sibling to watch the workers help their father: “Some men connected the tractor with a long heavy belt to the threshing machine. Some lined up the grain wagons. Others drove the hayracks into the field of stooks and gathered the yellow sheaves with pitchforks, tossing them onto the racks.” (Thankfully, a glossary at the beginning of the book explains the farming jargon for youngsters.) The next day, Dora and Henry can’t resist playing on the yellow pile of straw. Henry has an idea to climb the old, firm brown straw pile to jump across to the fresh yellow one and slide down its side. Henry goes first and makes it across, but when Dora follows, she falls into a hollow and disappears into the quicksand-like straw. Henry yells for help and their mother and Willie, a farmhand, come running to rescue Dora. Thompson’s full-color cartoon illustrations depict the landscape with simple backgrounds, drawing attention to the foreground action, which is particularly helpful when the prose describes details of the harvest process. The text can be challenging at times, as it’s littered with vocabulary that many children may find unfamiliar, but the eloquence and elegance of the storytelling (alongside the aforementioned glossary) make the book quite readable. Questions about the setting’s specific time and place go unanswered, but there are hints in the author’s family photographs, included at the book’s beginning and end. Ultimately, the sibling bond and the cooperative spirit of the farm effectively undergird the educational details about traditional farming practices. The main characters are depicted with pale skin; background characters have a range of skin tones.

An exciting tale of misadventure and rescue. - Kirkus Reviews