Extras

Reviews/Press

STARRED REVIEW “The self-effacing narrative seamlessly blends in Cold War history, Soviet politics, and loving family interchanges, and Yelchin's sly illustrations appear on almost every page. There's not a lot of material about this time period, and this humorous, informative, and engaging memoir will keep readers entertained.”

—Booklist

STARRED REVIEW “This memoir of [Yelchin's] adolescence is a forthright, darkly humorous and indelible portrait of an artist emerging. . . Yelchin, wonderfully, allows his text and pictures to interrupt each other with glee, reminding us how life begets art. It certainly does here.”

—The Horn Book Magazine

STARRED REVIEW “In this frank, engaging memoir, Yelchin (Spy Runner) recounts his childhood in the U.S.S.R. as his boyhood self, Yevgeny, perceives and ponders it. . . . At once comical and disquieting, the book is an illuminating introduction to a young life in the former Soviet Union.”

—The Publishers Weekly

STARRED REVIEW “Yelchin delivers a darkly humorous slice-of-life account of growing up in the Soviet Union. . . . Humorous, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful.”

—Kirkus Reviews

STARRED REVIEW “Yelchin has created an unforgettable portrayal of one family’s experiences living in the Soviet Union during the Cold War in his ingenious memoir. . .  Recommended for those who love captivating memoirs mixed with humor.”

—School Library Journal

STARRED REVIEW “The multitalented author/illustrator here turns his lens on his own life as a child in Soviet Russia during the 1960s and ’70s. . . . with any luck Yelchin will follow this with a second autobiographical volume.”

—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

STARRED REVIEW “In this splendidly entertaining memoir of a bleak childhood in Cold War Russia, Yelchin turns a dark, drab world into a kaleidoscope of humorously enlightening anecdotes. . . Yelchin adorns the story with his distinctive art, perfectly complementing the text. . . Simply beautiful!”

—Shelf Awareness

“The Genius Under the Table” is Eugene Yelchin’s idiosyncratic illustrated memoir of boyhood behind the Iron Curtain, a chronicle that manages to amuse with its quirky details and disturb with the broad picture it paints of life under communism.

—Wall Street Journal

“Darkly humorous. . . Yelchin’s breezy pencil illustrations brim with a charm and childlike energy few artists can capture.”

—The New York Times Book Review

“Eugene Yelchin’s illustrated memoir is shaping up to be one of the most celebrated books of the season. And with good reason – It’s funny, surprising, and heart-wrenching.”

—School Library Journal 100 Scope Notes

“Deserves top billing among children’s historical literature… filled with both history and heart… the independence of thought it fosters in children is the ingredient this modern-day, politically divisive world needs to address existential threats to humanity.”

—The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

“A heartbreaking, yet amusing, exploration of what life was really like as a child, citizen and Jew in the Soviet Union. Despite the turmoil that Yelchin and his family went through, the book is also hopeful.”

—The Jewish Journal

“FASCINATING. Probably the funniest, accurate depiction of living in Cold War Russia you’re ever going to see.

—SLJ Fuse 8 Productions

“A mixture of comic family drama, poignancy and the high stakes in Communist Russia… both entertaining and enlightening, and an inspiration for budding artists.”

—The Toronto Star

“A beautiful, layered memoir about how people thrive when their country is doing its best to stifle their dreams.”

—The Star-Tribune

“A perfect blending of humor, seriousness, and the tribulations of growing up, ‘The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain’ is pitch-perfect in every way.”

—Books to Borrow, Books to Buy syndicated column

“With the same deadpan, comic style he used to great effect in 2011 children's novel "Breaking Stalin's Nose," author-illustrator Eugene Yelchin offers a poignant memoir of growing up in the Soviet Union. Yelchin includes marvelous, colorful details of life in Cold War Russia… The matter-of-fact narrative makes clear the frightening political climate of the post-Stalin years.”

—Buffalo News

“Good memoir can show the author’s perspective. Great memoir can show the reader things they’ve never seen before. With The Genius Under the Table, Newbery Honor winner Eugene Yelchin (Breaking Stalin’s Nose), brings to life his childhood in Communist Russia. Told with humor, sadness, and hope, it’s my favorite memoir in recent memory.”

—100 Scope Notes

“Yelchin’s genius, which first appeared under the table, is here to enlighten everyone.”

—Jewish Book Council

“In this hilarious and touching book for middle grade readers, Yelchin shares a memoir of his own childhood in Russia during the Cold War. Yevgeny is a wonderful naïve protagonist, who doesn’t understand the immense political and social pressures hovering over his family and the entire Russian people. His misunderstandings of this and his growing desire for answers add tension to the story as readers will understand far more than he does. As Yevgeny covers the bottom of the table with drawings, readers are shown Yelchin’s illustrations of his family and others in his life. They are humorous and filled with a wry charm that shows Yevgeny’s point of view.”

—Walking Brain Cells

“Eugene (Yevgeny) Yelchin remembers growing up in Cold War Russia in this fascinating, laugh- out-loud funny, and heartbreaking memoir. This is a terrific book. Its deadpan delivery made me burst out laughing several times and lulled me into thinking this would be a funny, if a little unnerving, recounting of his rise to success in art and his eventual move to the USA. It’s not though. Instead, it’s devastating, I was unprepared for the last few chapters and realized I’d grown attached to the characters like one does in a much longer novel. I would recommend this to anyone; there is a strength to this family that is inspiring in the chaos of today’s world.”

—MSL Book Review

“This is a fascinating read. Yelchin easily brings the reader into the world of his childhood, (and) manages to drive home the oppression of Communism while also maintaining a levity that makes this book fun to read and very difficult to put down. Eugene Yelchin is an incredibly talented writer and artist, and this book is basically flawless.”

—Read-At-Home-Mom

“Eugene Yelchin’s funny, tender memoir recounts aspects of his childhood and young adulthood in Leningrad during the Cold War. The day his father discovers Yevgeny’s many drawings on the underside of the table, he proclaims his son a genius. Soon Yevgeny’s taking lessons from an artist, but lessons in life are all around him in this observant, witty, moving account. Jaunty black-and-white drawings are found throughout a narrative in which the measure of life as a Soviet Citizen is equal parts absurdity and poignancy.”

—Cooperative Children’s Book Center

“Good memoir can show the author’s perspective. Great memoir can show the reader things they’ve never seen before. The Genius Under the Table is the rare memoir that not only puts you in the shoes of the author, it brings you into a fully-realized world that actually existed. Yelchin’s straightforward style of writing is full of dry humor and simple, perfect observations. The picture Yelchin paints of Communist Russia is one that only an author with firsthand experience could make.”

—SLJ 100 Scope Notes

“A haunting, hilarious, 21st century answer to PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN… If I were going to sit here and type out all the reasons THE GENIUS UNDER THE TABLE is brilliant, this blog post would be longer than the book itself. But – holy crap, this book is amazing.”

—KidLit Underground

“Yelchin’s The Genius Under the Table is a powerful memoir. Educators will find immense value across its pages, from doodles to the descriptive language and the history embedded within. In fact, it can be a valuable companion to a Cold War study or Soviet Bloc study, as it will surely offer a few laughs or brief moments of levity to counter the weight that comes from examining such a serious and dangerous time period.”

—LIT Lessons

“As a child’s eye-view of life under communism, it’s genius.”

—Redeemed Reader

“This wonderfully illustrated memoir gives us a peek not only behind the Iron Curtain, but also the velvet curtain of the Russian ballet stage and the family dining room tablecloth -- all of these both concealing and revealing a place where a small boy is becoming his own kind of artist.”

—Angie Smits, Southern Territory Associates

“We get a good picture of life beyond the abysmal living conditions to the bullying and discrimination Jews have to live with and how hard it is to survive in such a society. This is a funny, irreverent look at Soviet communist society, but underlying it all is a deep undercurrent of naked truth. This will be a real eye-opener for young people.”

—Rosi Hollinbeck Blog

“Whenever I read a book by Eugene Yelchin, he takes me on a new journey to a place I've never been. Yearning for answers to his questions but rarely finding them, Yevgeny, whose bed is under his grandmother's dining table, sketches out what he makes of life as well as he can. Yelchin beautifully creates those sketches within this text from his memories. There is more to experience for readers despite the starkness of the day-to-day living, lives that include both humor and sadness.”

—TeacherDance

“Take Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, but make it mid-century Soviet and make the main character funny, creative, and relatable; and add strong messages of self-esteem and self-discovery. You’ll get Newberry Award Winner Eugene Yelchin’s THE GENIUS UNDER THE TABLE: Growing up Behind the Iron Curtain. (In the book), Yevgeny learns a lot about truth, mysteries, creativity, and life, which will leave the reader in chills long after closing the book. With short chapters with visual interest on every page, this book will engage a reluctant reader.”

—Kidlit Underground

“Completely engrossing. Deft writing and equally masterful illustrations contribute to an absorbing, biting, poignant, revealing, and loving story of the difficulties of knowing the truth, speaking the truth, and living the truth.

—Teresa Kravtin, Southern Territory Associates

“A middle grade memoir that introduces the bleakness of life in Soviet Russia yet still manages to be laugh out funny? Yes. Yelchin has achieved a rare feat. (His) book is a great way to introduce (young readers) to life under communism without overwhelming them. Highly recommended.”

—Libby Bergstrom, Librarian

“This wonderful illustrated memoir gives us a peek not only behind the Iron Curtain, but also the velvet curtain of the Russian ballet stage and the family dining room tablecloth -- all of these both concealing and revealing a place where a small boy is becoming his own kind of artist. Highly recommended.”

—Angie Smits, Southern Territory Associates

“Eugene Yelchin is the genius! THE GENIUS UNDER THE TABLE: GROWING UP BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN is a brilliant middle grade novel telling the story of Yevgeny trying to make his way in the world behind the Iron Curtin. Part memoir, part historic novel, GENIUS UNDER THE TABLE is pure fun. This is the perfect way to teach our past.”

—BookBar Inc

"This "memoir of growing up behind the Iron Curtain," showcases Yelchin's wonderful talent for bringing his childhood to life for young readers. I loved this one!"

—Carol Moyer, Quail Ridge Books

“What a delightful read. The art and the text are deceptively simple, but full of quirky angles and distortions that bring out a deeper truth. I recommend it highly to both children and adults. And for adults, I'd pair it with a collection of Mandelstam poetry. I, for one, am interested now.”

—Community Books