In This Book

May 26, 2014
Marceau and Jolivet, the French duo behind the oversize foldout book Panorama, return with another idiosyncratic project, one that feels like a cousin to Blexbolex’s Seasons and People. First published in France, the book presents more than 50 simple, stately linocuts of people, animal, and objects, each of which (or whom) declares its location. “I am in the bed, said the dog,” reads one page, as a black-and-white pup stares beseechingly at readers. “I am in the dark, said the child,” appears opposite, as a boy (in his own bed) peers at the golden light peeking from beneath his bedroom door. Creamy shades of blue, violet, orange, and green contribute to a sedate mood; while the book offers opportunities to discuss the meaning of “in,” the repeating statements of being on each page give each subject subtle anthropomorphic dimension—even when said subject is defined by absence (“I am in the cheese, said the hole”). Readers may find themselves dreaming about what the future might hold for the pebble nestled in a shoe, the abandoned soccer ball in a field, and the princess in a painting. Ages 3–5.

July 15, 2014
The French duo that collaborated on the foldout book Panorama (2009) returns with another visually exciting collection of images, this time bound traditionally.Each page-and an occasional double-page spread-contains a linocut presenting an arresting, tactile composition. A white bird rests in a nest built from chiseled diagonals, short blue lines cradling the creature against the black tree; a train, inferable from the clues of distant lights in a tunnel, approaches readers from under an arch of brown bricks above, with pebbles and track below. There is much to peruse and describe with a baby or by a young child, and readers in the know will recognize animals from Jolivet's previous books. The text, however, is less successful. The need for the repetitive first-person declarations is questionable: "I am in the apricot, said the pit. / I am in the bed, said the teddy bear"). Perhaps the somnolent syntax is intended to induce the sleep depicted in the final scene of a father holding his son, who's clasping a book-this book. Maybe it is all meant to climax in the resulting multiple meanings of "And me, I am in your arms!"Minus variance in prepositions, relationship among pages or discernible story arc (except for a conclusion), this feels more like a museum stroll than a coherent picture book-stimulating but not wholly satisfying. (Picture book. 3-5)

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August 1, 2014

PreS-Gr 1-In this title, a succession of more than 50 images places readers inside the page, listening to the voice of the subject. The focus with each page turn is on the position of the narrator. "I am in the glove, said the hand." "I am in the shoe, said the pebble." Each graphic design allows a colorfully printed glimpse within. Open eyes pop against a room's darkness, while a sliver of light softly glows beneath a door-"I am in the dark, said the child." This collection of simplified illustrations contains identifiable pictures for the youngest children. Leaves disappear amid the stripes of a tiger, and patterns abound; images of a flower, bird, spider, grass, train, tiger, and butterfly appear on single pages or on spreads that include some unusual choices-a pit in an apricot, a hole in cheese. This is an unusual resource for young readers searching for shapes or beginning to infer what could happen on the next page. A perfect choice for story starters.-Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX

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