Blackout

Have you ever endured a long power outage? Remember how you kept flipping the light switch out of habit, forgetting that it didn’t work? It’s possible that author John Rocco has never experienced the sweat and misery of a Southern summer blackout (with kids); but even so, his boldly illustrated new book offers an upbeat perspective on how power outages can bring families and neighbors together by turning off all the distractions.

A little girl living in an urban apartment building with her family can’t seem to find anyone to play a board game with her – until everyone’s busyness grinds to a halt with the loss of electricity. The sparse, simple-but-almost-lyrical narration and the comic-book style pictures describe the show more family’s adventures in shadow puppets, the “block party in the sky” that they discover when they step out onto their roof, and the goodwill neighborliness happening on the street.

Enjoy this book in the dark, with a flashlight, with all your screens and electronic sounds shut down. You may decide, like the main character, that sometimes it’s a good decision to turn everything off. show less

The book captures the excitement of a power outage on a summer evening in (I think) Brooklyn.

It's a truth universally acknowledged that a blackout brings people together. In this story, everyone in the family is too busy to hang out, but when the power goes out, they spend the evening together looking at the stars, eating ice cream, and playing a game (even when the power comes back on).

The thing I liked best about it is that it almost doesn't need any words. The use of color is also really great. Inside, without electric lights, everything is gray. But when they go outside the night colors just POP. One funny side note is that I'm not sure if the main character is a little girl or a little boy. The dad calls him/her "buddy," which is show more usually something you call a boy, but the long hair made me think girl at first. Does this matter? Not really. But it might be interesting to see which way kids read it. show less

I love the way this story is not just about what happens during a blackout, but about the way disconnecting technology and electricity for one evening brought a family close together. The illustrations are beautiful - they show how many colors make up the dark , for example: blues, blacks, grays, greens, and how bright even the stars can seem when nothing else is lit up. This would be a great story to have on hand to read to kids during a power outage, and it is also a neat way to share the experience with kids who haven't yet experienced a blackout. I think this is also a great, positive title for combating fear of the dark, and for empowering younger siblings who often feel left out or inferior. -Gina

One hot summer night in the city, all the power goes out. The TV shuts off and a boy wails, "Mommm!" His sister can no longer use the phone, Mom can't work on her computer, and Dad can't finish cooking dinner. What's a family to do? When they go up to the roof to escape the heat, they find the lights--in stars that can be seen for a change--and so many neighbors it's like a block party in the sky! On the street below, people are having just as much fun--talking, rollerblading, and eating ice cream before it melts. The boy and his family enjoy being not so busy for once. They even have time to play a board game together. When the electricity is restored, everything can go back to normal . . . but not everyone likes normal. The boy show more switches off the lights, and out comes the board game again. show less

Do you remember times gone by when life was not so chaotic? Do you remember a time when your family spent quality time together free of technology and its obsession? This gem of a children's illustrated book and a Caldecott Honor, is wonderfully illustrated and focuses on the importance of being together.

When the power goes out across New York City on a summer night, a family comes together. Playing board games, going to the top of the roof to gaze at stars, and then walking downstairs and interacting with neighbors all lend to the fact that when technology takes over, we lose each other.

Simply being forced to forgo the cell phones, the tv and technology, equates to remembering that you had a life with others before all this nonsense show more consumed us. show less

What a visually compelling story! I loved Blackout! This book describes one kid’s family during a neighborhood blackout. This book is considered a picture book which could explain why the pictures are beautifully made. What I enjoyed about the illustrations is the artist’s ability to give the reader the experience of being in a blackout. He shows the lit neighborhood before and then using different hue of blues and greys he is able to illustrate a blackout. The best part of the story is the climax where the family goes to the rooftop of their apartment complex. When they look around they see all their neighbors enjoying the stars. The contrast between the black images against the blue starry night sky is really visually appealing. I show more also enjoyed the plot of the story. It begins with the little boy wanting to play a board game but his family members are too busy to play until the lights go out. While waiting for the lights to come back on, they spend quality time enjoying each other and their neighborhood. The message in this book is to let the reader know that while things may seem more important, nothing is more important than your family. show less

On a hot summer night in the city, it's loud and everyone is busy, except our main character, a bored little sister. When the lights go out all over the city, the family gathers candles and flashlights and goes up to the roof, where they're able to see stars and visit with their neighbors ("it was a block party in the sky"). At last, the lights come back on, and everything goes back to normal, but the girl clicks off the lights in her house ("not everyone likes normal") and the final scene shows her whole family playing a board game together by candlelight.

See also: Journey by Aaron Becker, Blizzard (also by John Rocco), In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak, City Moon by Rachael Cole, Lift by Minh Lê