Stevie

Written & Illustrated by: John Steptoe

Stevie is a book I read for my undergraduate Kids Lit class and I decided to reread this story. I thought maybe I'd learn or notice something new. Maybe it would be more meaningful to me since my college days a few years back. (They weren't that long ago.) :-)

This story is written from the point of view of an African-American boy about 9 or 10 years old. His name is Robert. He is always being bugged by the little boy, Stevie, who stays with him Monday through Saturday. The author doesn't tell if the two are kin. They are obviously not brothers though they act like it. It could be a cousin or just a friend of the family. The reader must speculate because it is not mentioned in the text.

Robert and Stevie, though not brothers, have that sibling love-hate relationship. Robert is tired of Stevie always following him around and wanting to play with him and his friends. When Stevie makes loud noises in the house, Robert is the one who gets the blame. Stevie is even referred to as "Old Stupid" by Robert. One day, Stevie is gone and does not come back. Robert soon realizes how much he actually missed having another child around to play and hang out with. (Robert's an only child.) At the end of the story, Robert is missing Stevie so much he can't even finish his food.

The pictures in the story seem to be made using chalk and it gives this book a different feel. Not every page has a picture. When there is a picture, it is a one-page bleed or a full-page bleed which creeps onto the opposite page as well. The chalk gives this story a distant feeling which makes sense because the entire book is of Robert reminiscing about what he and Stevie used to do together before Stevie left. I think using chalk really enhanced the idea that the events have already taken place and Robert is sitting and thinking.

I'm not an only child, but if I was, this would make me think of what it would be like to have a sibling. Also, the way Stevie and Robert bicker reminds me of my sister and I and how often we fight.