Crenshaw's Books & Decks

In a world in which children are over-indulged, over-protected and driven like cattle anywhere, Meg McKinley's wonderful story comes to teach children that walking is wonderful, that life is full of magnificent small things that brighten up our days, and that discovering them is not only part of life, it is life itself. The book is also perfect for adults who need to be reminded that mediocrity and boredom are things that you build everyday when you detach yourself from the gazillion beautiful things that life has to offer, and that opening your eyes and moving your derrière are basic for brightening your time.

The text and the illustrations are like an odd happy marriage. This is not the typical book for children with colourful illustrations and childish cute characters. Hughes-Odgers' images and characters convey well the lack of brightness of the life of a group of apathetic-looking children, who could be early teens. By using a mix of matt subdued greens, ochres, beige, blues and blacks, he creates a world that is earthy and mysterious, a sort of urban forest that is scary but exciting to walk through. I always love his characters and magic world, so I was delighted at finding him as the illustrator. His illustrations were first painted on wood panels and will be exhibited at The Place (mezzanine floor in the State Library of Western Australia) for about two months.

If you have kids or nephews, go and grab it. If you like illustration, go and grab it. If you want to feed you inner child, well, go and grab it - no money? Libraries are full of free books ;O.

A beautiful tiny book that brightened up my evening.