Sophie Masson (author) and Lorena Carrington (illustrator) Satin, MidnightSun Publishing, March 2023, 32 pp., RRP $29.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781922858016
Satin slips out of the forest and walks along the silent sleepy sunrise streets, looking for blue…
Satin is on a mission to find the missing piece to his creation. A thing of beauty, made of all the blue he can find—as he slips out in the early hours and after dark. But what is he really looking for? And where could it be hiding?
I have a confession to make. I’ve been obsessed with bowerbirds for as long as I can remember. So when Satin arrived on my desk, it was love at first sight (of those gorgeous endpapers).
The mood of the story is established in the first scene—an enchanting, slightly eerie vision of a ghostly dawn. Readers can dive right into Satin’s world from the minute they turn past the title page.
There’s a musicality to the writing that will engage readers (and young ones listening at bedtime); the book feels like poetry, with a strong sense of mystery. Which character are we really following? Is Satin on the ground, in the sky, or both?
The mixed-media illustrations enhance the story’s intrigue. A standout is the juxtaposition between the opening pages and the following scene—an expert use of white space that makes readers feel like we’re searching for ‘blue’ alongside Satin.
While a monochrome colour palette has the potential to lose its sparkle after a while, this doesn’t happen in Satin. The mosaic of different textures keeps things interesting.
Then, the ending—one that will warm hearts this winter and have us rethinking what it means to feel ‘blue’.
Recommended for readers aged 4 years and older.
Reviewed by Sarah Stivens
