The Wall Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain

"I was born at the beginning of it all, on the Red sidethe Communist sideof the Iron Curtain." Through annotated illustrations, journals, maps, and dreamscapes, Peter Sis shows what life was like for a child who loved to draw, proudly wore the red scarf of a Young Pioneer, stood guard at the giant statue of Stalin, and believed whatever he was told to believe. But adolescence brought questions. Cracks began to appear in the Iron Curtain, and news from the West slowly filtered into the country. Sis learned about beat poetry, rock 'n' roll, blue jeans, and Coca-Cola. He let his hair grow long, secretly read banned books, and joined a rock band. Then came the Prague Spring of 1968, and for a teenager who wanted to see the world and meet the Beatles, this was a magical time. It was short-lived, however, brought to a sudden and brutal end by the Soviet-led invasion. But this brief flowering had provided a glimpse of new possibilitiescreativity could be discouraged but not easily killed. By joining memory and history, Sis takes us on his extraordinary journey: from infant with paintbrush in hand to young man borne aloft by the wings of his art.

PETER SÍS, a MacArthur Fellow and internationally renowned artist, received Caldecott Honors for Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei and Tibet Through the Red Box. He has lived in and around New York City since 1984.

From The Wall
 
“When my American family goes to visit my Czech family in the colorful city of Prague, it is hard to convince them it was ever a dark place full of fear, suspicion, and lies. I find it difficult to explain my childhood; it's hard to put it into words, and since I have always drawn everything, I have tried to draw my life— before America—for them.â€�                 —P.S.