Children! Pah! Children were like starlings—witless, twittering, little pests. Besides, children meant homes and responsibilities and regular work and Armand was perfectly content living under a bridge in the city he loves more than anything else. But his perfect life changes when a gypsy woman grabs his arm and says, “You will meet with adventure today.” Then Armand meets three red-headed children, a shaggy dog that should have been white, and a proud mother determined to keep her family together. Oh, lá, lá! Adventure has certainly found Armand!
Recipient of the 1959 John Newbery Medal, The Family Under the Bridge is a charming, heartwarming story set against the backdrop of the picturesque and historic city of Paris. Natalie Savage Carlson’s story is brimming with the sights, sounds, and smells of one of the world’s most romantic cities and gives us a curmudgeon with a heart of gold through our reluctant hero, Armand Pouly. Despite his most valiant efforts, Armand opens his home and heart to this irresistible brood and becomes all the better for it.
The author sets her story during Christmas time, which is fitting as it is the season of hope, faith, and family. Family is a strong theme throughout Carlson’s book, as the children and their mother struggle against financial and social pressures to stay together. As the eldest child, Suzy, is always saying, “We’re a family and we have to stick together.” Themes of humility, kindness, and pride also permeate this lovely story as the children’s mother lets go of her pride to accept the help she greatly needs and Armand realizes that perhaps having your heart stolen by starlings isn’t such a bad thing after all.
Perhaps Armand himself sums it up best when he says, “It isn’t walls and furniture that make a home. It’s the family.” Armand always wanted adventure. Little did he know at the time that the family under the bridge would provide him with the adventure of a lifetime.
Rating: 5/5
The Dusty Jacket 