The Long Island

January 29, 2018
Beckmeyer’s auspicious debut imagines a group of humans living on one side of a long, narrow island. The far side of the island, “the one nobody had ever seen,” is guarded by forbidding rocks and lush vegetation “too dense to cut through.” Working in crayon, Beckmeyer draws the island and its tropical greenery on heavily toothed paper, giving the spreads a bright, rough feel. His indigenous islanders are simple silhouettes with no features or clothing; some are rust-colored, others gray or blue. Consumed with desire to reach the island’s far side, they construct a gigantic slide, lashing together lengths of wood and hoisting them skyward; a side-on view of the island shows a towering pole with three tiny figures on top. Once they reach the inaccessible side of the island, they have a new problem: they can’t get back. After more ambitious building, they discover that they’ve attracted outsiders who spoil the island they love. With a sharp eye, Beckmeyer shows how easy it is for paradise to tip into ruin. Rich discussions will arise after reading. Ages 5–8.

March 1, 2018
Beckmeyer's first picture book takes readers on a circular journey around a mysterious island.This parable, rendered in richly textured crayon, follows five friends who "wonder about the other side of the island" they dwell on, so they set out to paddle around to it. A failed landing leaves four friends, who try to cut through dense forest haunted by big cats, leaving three friends who build a long and precarious slide. Structures resembling roller coasters and Seattle's Space Needle lure others to the island, and these newcomers carouse in party hats and develop it beyond recognition. At the end, one last friend tries, again, to find the wild side of the island, a venture that ends in a chaotic black scribble that leaves readers with far more questions than it answers. Every reader may come away from this curious and quiet book with a different message, and the deeper meanings are an intriguing challenge to parse. One might ask why the characters are dark pink, purple, orange, grayish-brown, and light pink and what their genders are. Who are they, and why are they on this island? In addition to the beautiful and skillful yet childlike illustrations, the text has a certain elegance, excellent pacing helping to carry readers through the exceptionally long picture book.This daring approach to the picture book may find an audience of philosophical adults and children who take pleasure in the unusual. (Picture book. 5-9)

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