Khalil and Mr. Hagerty and the backyard treasures

Select an Action

Title:

Khalil and Mr. Hagerty and the backyard treasures

Personal Author:

Springstubb, Tricia, author.

ISBN:

9781536203066

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 26 cm.

Abstract:

Khalil lives in the upstairs apartment with his family, which is big and busy and noisy. Downstairs lives Mr. Hagerty, who is quiet. Khalil and Mr. Hagerty don't appear to have a lot in common, but hot summer days have a way of bringing people together. As Khalil looks for buried treasure in the yard, Mr. Hagerty tends to his garden. Both help each other navigate language -- whether it be learning new words or remembering those seemingly forgotten. Before long, an unlikely friendship is born, full of treasure, thoughtfulness, and chocolate cake.

Subject Term:

Children and older people -- Juvenile fiction.

Friendship -- Juvenile fiction.

Children's stories.

Genre:

Picture books.

Added Author:

Taherian, Elaheh,

Electronic Access:

Language:

English

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Shelf Number	Location
Searching... Central Library	Juvenile Book	E SPRI	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Mount Washington Branch	Juvenile Book	E SPRI	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

A sweet friendship spanning age and culture blooms in a shared backyard.

Khalil lives in the upstairs apartment with his family, which is big and busy and noisy. Downstairs lives Mr. Hagerty, who is quiet. Khalil and Mr. Hagerty don't appear to have a lot in common, but hot summer days have a way of bringing people together. As Khalil looks for buried treasure in the yard, Mr. Hagerty tends to his garden. Both help each other navigate language -- whether it be learning new words or remembering those seemingly forgotten. Before long, an unlikely friendship is born, full of treasure, thoughtfulness, and chocolate cake. Through well-cultivated details and vibrant cut-paper collage, author Tricia Springstubb and illustrator Elaheh Taherian nurture a heart-tugging tribute to the love of good neighbors and to the strength of intergenerational and intercultural bonds.

Author Notes

Tricia Springstubb is the author of Phoebe and Digger, illustrated by Jeff Newman, and the Cody series, illustrated by Eliza Wheeler, as well as several other children's books. She is a former children's librarian at a public library in Ohio.

Elaheh Taherian graduated with an MFA in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York City and also has an MFA from Art University in Tehran, Iran. The illustrator of several children books, she lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews (3)

School Library Journal Review

K-Gr 2--Khalil's new house has two apartments. He lives upstairs with his big, noisy family, while his quiet neighbor, Mr. Hagerty, lives downstairs. They both love to spend time in their shared backyard. Mr. Hagerty gardens while Khalil digs for treasure. Despite their different interests, the two forge a close bond over their time spent together in the backyard. Khalil asks Mr. Hagerty for help with words in his book that he cannot read, and he helps Mr. Hagerty remember words when he cannot recall them. Khalil is often invited inside Mr. Hagerty's house to enjoy chocolate cake and milk. This book highlights the concept of opposites: upstairs/downstairs, old/young, noisy/quiet. Readers will pore over striking, detailed illustrations in a collage with oil and charcoal. Most pages contain one simple sentence except for a place in the book where wordless artwork is stretched across both pages. Children will be eager to see what happens next. VERDICT A perfect read-aloud book for storytime.--Noureen Qadir-Jafar, Syosset Library, NY

Publisher's Weekly Review

Two-level living results in an intergenerational friendship in Springstubb (the Cody series) and artist Taherian's leisurely picture book. Khalil's brown-skinned family, which lives upstairs with colorful curtains, is "big and busy and noisy." Downstairs occupant Mr. Hagerty, meanwhile, a white, bearded man shown reading the news, prefers quiet. But the boy and the elderly gentleman both enjoy the backyard of their shared residence, where they bond over language. Mr. Hagerty maintains an expansive vegetable garden and leans on Khalil to help him remember words ("my digging thing, my hole maker"); Khalil hunts "for bugs and interesting rocks," leaning on Mr. Hagerty for help reading. One summer day when "everything looked droopy," Khalil suggests a hunt for buried treasure, one whose meager findings (a bobby pin, shriveled carrots) lead to better things--refreshments ("big pieces of chocolate cake and tall, cold glasses of milk") and, by way of a second treasure quest, a burgeoning friendship. In pencil, oil, and collage spreads, illustrator Taherian builds out a layered garden as well as two abodes whose backgrounds hint at the way each friend fills the other's loneliness. Together with Springstubb's text, it makes for an affectionate rendering of friendship as a wonderful and unexpected surprise. Ages 5--8. (May)

Booklist Review

Khalil's new house has an upstairs, where he and his large family live, and a downstairs, where the elderly Mr. Hagerty lives alone. Both Khalil and Mr. Hagerty enjoy the peace and quiet they find in the backyard. While Khalil hunts for bugs and treasure, Mr. Hagerty tends his garden. In this shared space, Khalil and his neighbor become friends, helping each other with sight words and finding misplaced garden tools. After a disappointing day in the garden for both of them, Khalil and Mr. Hagerty devise separate plans to cheer the other up. In this intergenerational picture book, both characters find value and friendship in the other, often sharing snacks to celebrate together or console one another. Elaheh Taherian's paper-cut collage illustrations seem to pop off the page, and add an element of whimsy to this wonderful story about making friends, no matter how old or young you are. This story would be a great recommendation for people seeking nonfamilial intergenerational stories.