Christina Balit

Two children survive the destruction of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, buried beneath the ashes when nearby Mt. Vesuvius erupted, in this engaging work of picture-book historical fiction. An alert and active boy, Tranio was the son of an actor, and was out and about when the earth in his home city began to tremble. He immediately set out in search of his friend Livia, the baker's daughter, and when the sky turned dark and began to rain down ashes, the two fled to the harbor, where they found safety on a ship setting sail. Behind them was their home and their families, soon to disappear forever...

I am a great admirer of the work of author/artist Christina Balit, and have enjoyed many of her books, from the wonderful folkloric and mythological retellings she has illustrated for other authors, to her own Atlantis: The Legend of the Lost City, which she both wrote and illustrated. I tracked down Escape from Pompeii - it had to be requested through interlibrary loan - because of this fondness for Balit's work, and I was not disappointed. The story is engaging - sure to please young adventure lovers, it also gives the basic outline of the historical story of the destruction of Pompeii, something explored in more detail in the author's afterword. The artwork is, as expected, simply gorgeous, with a rich, orange and yellow-dominated color palette, and Balit's trademark stylized figures. Recommended to picture-book readers who enjoy historical fiction and/or stories of survival, as well as to anyone looking for supplemental titles to be used in a teaching unit on Roman history and/or Pompeii. For myself, I will have to see if I can track down a non-fiction children's book about this topic, that could pair well with this fictional tale.… (más)

Using Plato's dialogues, Timaeus and Critias, as sources, British author and illustrator Christina Balit relates the Greek myth of Atlantis in this gorgeous picture-book. Built up from a tiny island by the god Poseidon, after he marries island girl Cleito, Atlantis becomes a marvel of the world - an island city both wealthy and peaceful. Named after Poseidon and Cleito's oldest son, Atlas, it is governed by a wise set of laws. But when Poseidon sleeps beneath the waves, the people of Atlantis gradually abandon the laws, and violence and injustice creep into their civilization. Waking from his long rest, the sea god must fulfill his vow to destroy the island, if its people ever break the law, raining down fire and submerging Atlantis in powerful waves. And so the island slips beneath the waters, never to be seen again...

Although there are various different versions of the myth of Atlantis, something outlined by scholar Geoffrey Ashe in his afterword, Atlantis: The Legend of the Lost City retells the traditional Greek tale. The story here is engaging, and the illustrations simply beautiful! Balit uses vibrant colors - deep blues and oranges, and lovely golden highlights - and stylized figures to create paintings that are a pleasure to peruse. Beside the passage discussing the giving and keeping of Atlantis' laws, she depicts a carved half-disk that looks very much like the Phaistos Disk, from the ancient Minoan civilization on the island of Crete. This felt entirely appropriate, as some scholars believe that the story of Atlantis is actually about Crete, and about the destruction of the Minoan civilization after the eruption of a volcano on the island of Thera, in 1450 BC. I'd recommend this one to all folklore and mythology enthusiasts, particularly those interested in the legend of Atlantis, or in the idea of lost civilizations.… (más)

Tranio loved to watch all the goings on in Pompeii. He was in awe of his beautiful city but even more in awe of the city’s great protector Mount Vesuvius. There were many earthquake tremors, which no one took seriously until it was too late. Mount Vesuvius erupted and destroyed Pompeii. Tranio and Livia barely escaped. They were rescued and taken in by a kind Greek captain to live out the rest of their days. Many years later they returned to Pompeii to place flowers underneath an orange tree and pay tribute to the many people who lost their lives the day Mount Vesuvius erupted. I loved the illustrations throughout the book. The last page has a really powerful message about the death of the people of Pompeii. It speaks volumes!… (más)

Throughout my life I have heard of the mythical island of Atlantis, but never read the origin story. Author/Illustrator Christina Balit brings Atlantis to life in this retelling of the traditional tale. I picked this book off the shelf because of the vibrant illustrations of Poseidon, the Island of Atlantis, and it's inhabitants. Bold greens, blues, oranges and golds, in watercolor depict the rising sun on Atlantis' last day, the crashing waves as Atlantis is destroyed, the beauty of the island in it's heyday. Balit's simple retelling is a straightforward and child friendly version of the myth. Her description of the island is amplified by her illustrations. Words and phrases such as '...sacred land' and 'paradise' give the reader an image of the utopia that Atlantis once was. Overall a fun book to read but the real pleasure is the artwork.… (más)