David Miles (text), Natalie Hoops (illus) Book, Familius/Exisle Publishing, 1 August 2015, 32pp., $21.57 (hbk), ISBN: 9781939629654
Immediately the quality of the sturdy boards in the cover, carefully defined gutter, generous, beautifully designed fly leaves, and smooth texture of the dust jacket say much about attractive qualities the word ’book’ can encompass. The measurements of about 28.5 x 23.5 x 0.75 cm seem equally satisfactory here.
Initially, when a reader opens the book two empty white pages are printed with only the words ‘This is a book.’ David Miles goes on to say that it is the most quiet, ordinary thing until you look closer. The fonts become larger and more decorative and the delicate illustrations become fanciful concoctions of characters, shreds of text and landscapes of the imagination. Progressively, the author tells us that a book is a place where everything becomes possible. He says it will never become sick because viruses cannot catch it. We can close it without feeling sad because it will be waiting whenever we wish to open it again. A boy in blue jeans and red and white striped top experiences the wonders and adventures page by page. Readers can identify with him as the pages are turned.
The book beguiles readers into thinking more about books. It has restrained colours but a multitude of things happening, designed to build up the impression of how entrancing single alphabet letters, or snippets of sentences and languages, and finally stories, can be. Smooth feeling pages and intriguing contents charm us, so we see how friendly, but remarkable, a book can be.
Reviewed by Elspeth Cameron
