Imagine a Night

June 9, 2003
Not quite a narrative and not quite a catalogue, this volume presents a series of hallucinatory paintings, loosely unified by atmospheric lyrics. Gonsalves specializes in optical illusions. In his Escher-like cover image, a moonlit row of pine trees reflects in a dark lake; on close observation, viewers see the mirrored space between the trees transforming into a ghostly procession of women in white gowns, illumined by sepulchral lamplight ("Imagine a night.../ ...when moonlight spills/ across the water/ to make a path/ for the lightest feet"). In two candlelit images, narrow cathedral windows metamorphose into tall men in monks' robes. An artist cuts his curtains into the silhouette of a city skyline, so that the distinction between the cloth and the horizon becomes unclear. Children glide over brown and green patchwork quilts, which turn to farmland, or cheerfully aim their wagons and bikes down a scary, roller-coaster–steep street. Thomson (Stars and Stripes,
reviewed May 26) has the task of retrofitting prose to the finished images, which are related conceptually but—like the pictures in Guy Billout's recent Something's Not Quite Right—do not form a story. Each of Thomson's passages begins with the title words, and implies more pleasant dreams than the artist's playful but edgy images suggest: "Imagine a night... /...when candlelight rises/ on butterfly wings/ to greet the lonely stars." A concluding gallery of the plates emphasizes the artificiality of the secondhand narration, but Gonsalves's work nevertheless casts a spooky spell. All ages.

October 1, 2003
Gr 6 Up-In addition to straightforward biographical information, this book supplies historical and cultural context, which makes the facts of Carson's life and work more meaningful. For instance, Tremblay explains how the thalidomide scandal in the 1950s made the public more receptive to warnings about pesticides. Another strength of this biography is its focus on the societal barriers and personal difficulties that the scientist had to face because of her gender. This strong work is marred, however, by proofreading errors. Several are mere typos, but a few are factually incorrect. One caption states that the Chincoteague wildlife refuge is in Florida, instead of Virginia. Another photo shows Carson testifying before a Senate subcommittee in June, 1963; the caption reads "Her death would come just two days later." In fact, she died April 14, 1964.-Laurie von Mehren, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma, OH

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