Scotto, Thomas. Jerome by Heart. New York, Enchanted Lion Books, 2019. Note: The book, Jérôme par coeur, was originally published in French in 2015. It was translated by Claudia Zoe Bedrick and Karin Snelson.
Jerome by Heart is written by Thomas Scotto and illustrated by Olivier Tallec. It is a Mildred L. Batchelder Award Honor winning book (2019). It is a story designed for children ages 4 to 8, but could work well for children through age 10.
Raphael is a young boy about 7 years of age; this story is told from his point of view. He starts by sharing that Jerome holds his hand tightly while they bike and he chooses Raphael as his partner on trips. Raphael shares that he loves Jerome. Raphael’s mother likes Jerome but doesn’t understand the connection the two share. Neither does his father, who wishes Jerome were an athlete. But Raphael loves Jerome. Jerome always calls to him, shares his snacks, sticks up for him, and makes up amazing stories. Raphael shares that he is going to devote himself to Jerome. His parents are tired of hearing about the connection Raphael feels for Jerome. His father stops his words with a voice “…like sharp fish bones in my hot chocolate.” Unhappy, Raphael goes to his room. He continues his reverie… he and Jerome on vacation; he and Jerome building and driving race cars. Raphael circles around his room, thinking and questioning. He decides, regardless of his Mom and Dad, Raphael loves Jerome. It’s easy.
The artist uses color particularly well. Jerome By Heart is told over 12 spreads. The illustrations are realistic and add depth to the story. Right from the beginning, we see an image of Jerome and Raphael holding hands happily biking along while a trail of irate drivers are stuck behind them. We see the non-attentive mother fussing over flowers; the disappointed father hunched over a soccer ball at two athletic girls playing with a ball while Jerome and Raphael chase butterflies. The images of boys with huge grins and doubled over clearly depict the fun they are having. When Raphael’s parents dismiss him, the colors change from bright oranges to inky blues. The lines in the artwork move the reader to the mountain and around the bed, desk, and rug. The readers clearly get the sense of Raphael’s mind circling. In the last spread, the two boys are running, hand in hand, from the dark side to the light side of the page.
The print book is very effective. It has an encapsulating effect for the adult and child. This simple, yet powerful, story would make a wonderful one on one read aloud with a child so they can feel comfortable asking any questions that might arise from it.
Jerome By Heart is a beautifully illustrated story about friendship and love.
Book Notes 