Anne Michaels (text), Emma Block (illus.), The Adventures of Miss Petitfour, Bloomsbury, 1 May 2017, 144pp., $14.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9781408868058
Miss Petitfour, who loves baking and eating, cats and flying, is a beautifully eccentric character. Her adventures, which are ‘just the right size, fitting into a single, magical day’ are delightfully whimsical and are sure to set your face smiling.
Pros…
The design: the gentle illustrations are enchanting and fit so perfectly with the delicately eccentric storyline. The overall aesthetics of the book, its size, texture and soft pastel colouring, are unique and appealing. I would choose this book off a crowded shelf.
The language: Anne Michaels’, an award winning poet, love and knowledge of language is showcased in this, her first book for children. I thoroughly enjoyed the gentle lessons throughout each short story, the words ‘that open stories like a key’, the long words that ‘your tongue could get tangled up and lost in’, her ‘digressions’, her ‘eccentricity’ which by the way is ‘something everyone has’, the words that ‘ambush’ a story and those that ‘save’ it. The writing is a celebration of language and that itself is absolutely enchanting.
The whimsy: what other word can be used to describe a woman whose mode of transport is a table cloth that she fills with air and uses to tow her sixteen cats? This collection of short stories is full of whimsical ideas, some that turn what we know or assume on its head and others that are just so deliciously eccentric the desire for them to be real is almost palpable.
The characters: each character is introduced with a unique eccentricity and background story that sets them firmly in Miss Petitfour’s magical world, including her cats! These characters are easily identifiable every time they reappear throughout the short story collection.
Cons…
Is this collection anachronistic? The enchanting yet elevated language gives this collection a sense that it is a classic before it has had the chance to age, a story from a different time. Because of this I struggled to identify a target audience. I see this as suitable for a niche market of literary lovers rather than children. However, I may be wrong. Perhaps this story collection, reminiscent of a time forgotten, will encourage children to slow down and enjoy the flow of language?
So, if you love language, its intricacies and potential for beauty; if you appreciate delicate and elegant illustration; or if you yearn for a little magic in your life – this is the book for you.
Reviewed by Katie Mineeff
