Protected Winnie, the ten-year-old heroine, is not immortal, but when she comes upon young Jesse Tuck drinking from a secret spring in her parents' woods, she finds herself involved with a family who, having innocently drunk the same water some 87 years earlier, haven't aged a moment since. Lacking the quirks and foibles that bring characters to life, Kek seems more a composite of traits designed to instruct readers than an engaging individual in his own right.ĭespite its lackluster execution, this story’s simple premise and basic vocabulary make it suitable for younger readers interested in the plight of war refugees.Īt a time when death has become an acceptable, even voguish subject in children's fiction, Natalie Babbitt comes through with a stylistic gem about living forever. His tribe, culture and language are never identified personal details, such as appearance and age, are vague or omitted. Full of wide-eyed amazement and unalloyed enthusiasm for all things American, Kek is a generic-bordering on insulting-stereotype. When the owner plans to sell the cow, Kek becomes despondent. Later he returns with Hannah, a friendly foster child, and talks the cow’s owner into hiring him to look after it.
From the author of the Animorphs series comes this earnest novel in verse about an orphaned Sudanese war refugee with a passion for cows, who has resettled in Minnesota with relatives.Īrriving in winter, Kek spots a cow that reminds him of his father’s herd, a familiar sight in an alien world.
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