The Red Book

Barbara Lehman’s Caldecott-winning The Red Book is presented in the same style as her Museum Trip and Rainstorm. Wordless yet lyrical, it follows the paired adventures of two children — one in a snowy city, the other on a blistering beach — who find each other through a magical book that lets them see the other one’s location. Booklist: “In this wordless mind trip for tots, Lehman develops a satisfying fantasy in a series of panels framed with thick white borders. The effect is of peering through portals, an experience shared by the characters as they independently stumble across enchanted red books that provide them with a videophone-like connection. Though wordless picture books often seem to be the province of fine artists indulging in high-concept braggadocio, Lehman’s effort ensures child appeal with an unaffected drawing style and a simple, easy-to-follow story line about a friendship forged between a city girl and a faraway island boy.” Giggle factor: not applicable. Adult enjoyment: this is a pretty cool book. Illustrations: five jelly jars.

~ by kaychubbuck on July 21, 2010.