David Miles (text), Natalie Hoops (illus) Book, Familius/Exisle Publishing, 1 August 2015, 32pp., $21.57 (hbk), ISBN: 9781939629654
With echoes of Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, we see a boy climb a rope ladder, enter a world of enchantment and then return via the same rope ladder to the comfort of home. The book opens with an invitation to look closer – and if you do you will notice many things. There are two names hidden in the midst of the Gothic style lettering on the end papers and there are many French phrases and words amongst the collages scattered throughout the illustrations. Book images are cleverly included in some of the landscapes to successfully reinforce the theme that books deserve to be all around us. This is indeed a celebration of the book as a companion and a vehicle for imagination, as opposed to technology filling such roles. There are many comparisons – ‘No buttons, no bonus levels’, ‘no off switch or a password to lock you out’ and ‘It will never go dark because it doesn’t need batteries’. An exploration of the illustrations will also find links to fairy tale characters and well known books and their settings, as well as names of authors. This book will appeal to adults as well as children as an affirmation of a love of books.
Reviewed by Julie Long