BLACKOUT

Title: BLACKOUT
Author: John Rocco
Illustrator: John Rocco
Medium: Watercolor
Genre: Picture Book - Realistic Fiction

Themes: Power outage, Family and community fun

Summary: This book is about a blackout that took place in a very big modern city. The blackout took everyone in the city including the family that portrayed in this book unawares, thus  providing an opportunity for families and friends to take a break and have a time of fellowship.

Literary Elements: The text in this book is very limited. But it is mostly a narrative text. Rocco use antonyms such as up and down to somehow show the changes that took place in the homes because of the blackout.The setting of this story is both indoors and outdoors. The illustrations depict recognizable sites of New York city such as the Brooklyn bridge and other buildings that one can easily associate with that city.

Evaluation: This book was inspired by the blackouts that took place in New York City in the years 1977 and  2003. This explains why it is a realistic fiction. It is a very beautifully illustrated picture book that does not only entertain, but educates. In a technological and fast-paced era when homes also have offices, electronics are easily accessible to all, including kids, families and members of the neighborhood tend to neglect the very essence of life which, I believe, is relationship which involves fellowship with one another. In this picture book, Rocco points us back to what community and family life is supposed to look like. This is a book that our busy modern day families should read and not only discuss the importance of electric power with their kids but also discuss the importance of taking time to relax and have fun together. This book is indeed a parable of life.

Social Justice Element: The book perfectly portrays the social movement and social change element. We see this in the picture of Thomas Edison, hanging on the wall, whose invention of electricity has enlightened the world and led to the invention of electronics.  The element of social change is also seen in the character of the child portrayed in this book who puts off the light in their house just to regain the attention of her parents who had gone back to their busy routines immediately after electricity was restored. Electric power and subsequent inventions have changed our lives dramatically, but we must  not allow ourselves and our communities to be ruled by them.


Follow-up Activity: Students will form two groups and discuss about the importance of electricity; how they handle blackouts in their homes, the use of technology at home and in school; they will discuss its positive and negative impact on family and the society at large and how they can make good use of their electronic devices without becoming addicted to them. A member of the group will draw a house in the dark to show a blackout. After taking down their contributions, they will get back together and each group will share their ideas.