Sky-High Guy
© Nina Crews 2010 Christy Ottaviano Books, Henry Holt and Company ISBN: 978-0-8050-8764-2, ISBN10: 0-8050-8764-8
About Sky-High Guy
Whether they’re trekking to a magical island to hunt dinosaurs or saving a city from destruction, Jack and his action figure Guy have exciting adventures. Sometimes Jack’s little brother, Gus, joins them. But when Guy gets caught in a branch while skydiving, Jack and Gus must launch operation rescue!
In this companion to Below, Nina Crews uses her trademark photo-collage style to tell a playful story where innovative ideas and teamwork save the day.
Reviews
In this winning companion to Below (2006), Crews tells a simple story-in-photographs of two brothers, Jack and Gus, and their serene action figure, Guy, who’s amenable to any kind of adventure from dinosaur hunting (on the bookshelf between Seabiscuit and Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary) to saving the city from destruction to (“Oh, no!”) getting caught in a backyard tree while skydiving. Just at that dramatic moment, Mom calls the boys inside. But they can’t leave Guy up in the branches with the possibility of rain and snow … or wild animals! (These imagined threats are effectively superimposed on the photos as loose, white, line drawings.) Sibling teamwork and the persistent flinging of a lasso facilitate a satisfying rescue. The spare text hits just the right note, and, along with full-bleed photos of regular (and adorable) kids in a regular (and lushly leafy) backyard, captures the childhood thrill of believing, if only for a while, that poor, steadfast Guy might really be in terrible danger and that only boy heroes could ever save the day. Kirkus
Jack and his action figure, Guy, return for another adventure. Real-life brothers Jack and Gus, who appeared in Below (Holt 2006), again pose for photographs that Crews uses as the basis for photo-collage illustrations. Little brother Gus has a more prominent role this time around, as the boys must work together to rescue skydiving Guy when he gets caught in a tree. The authenticity of Crews’s illustrations makes it easy for readers to access Jack’s imagination. Whether looking up at the toy or gazing down at Jack and Gus, the author’s varied point of view draws readers into the action. Jack worries about what might happen to Guy if he is left up in the tree too long. Threats are depicted as white line drawings over color photographs that blend reality and imagination perfectly. Clearly, Jack starts out thinking of himself and Guy as the perfect team, but learns that including Gus in adventures is more fun for everyone. Children will relate to the brothers’ plight and enjoy the story’s positive message. School Library Journal