One book I will forever connect with the summer of 2015 is:
The Skunk. By Mac Barnett. Illustrated by Patrick McDonnell. Roaring Book Press/Macmillan, 2015. 40 pages. $17.99
In this latest book from Caldecott Honor Winner Mac Barnett, a skunk appears on a man's doorstep. Not quite sure what to make of this, the man leaves his house. The skunk follows. After failed attempts to escape, the man confronts the skunk, but receives no reaction. Attempts to appease the skunk with gifts are also unsuccessful, and in a last ditch effort, the man takes refuge in - of all places- an opera house. The skunk proves to be very persistent, and soon the man is trekking all over the city with the skunk in tow. Realizing he must do something truly drastic to escape the skunk, the man moves to a new home, beginning a new life. In the end, however, the two find each other once more, leaving readers to contemplate their fascinating connection.
McDonnell's black and white striped endpapers suit the story perfectly, particularly at the end of the story. (Patrick McDonnell won a Caldecott Honor in 2012 for Me. . . Jane.) The use of red connects the two characters - the man's bowtie is red and so is the skunk's nose -- and with dashes of pink and beige, the palette is cheerful and, when needed, a bit dark. (This is a good thing.) Movement is shown with lines, and roses and red doors are important details. Watch for them! Negative space highlights unspoken conversations between the man and his pursuer, and emotions are shown through saucer plate eyes, hands in pockets, and bursts of red atop the man's head. The world Barnett and McDonnell create here is classic big city, but metropolitan and homey at the same time.
The text consists of first-person narration giving the story a sense of appropriately paced suspense. A tale sure to bring about wonder and discussion.
Much of the book cannot be predicted. (This is part of its appeal.) Readers will wonder if the skunk keeps following, and though cheering the man on, will also hope it does!
Other points to notice are the city spots: the opera, a sculpture garden -- two artistic places, and yet, along with it -- a carnival. The juxtaposition of these locations show the reader that the man in this book has depth! And though he runs from a skunk, he is also unafraid -- walking into the sewers and even the alley. The other things we know about him: he dances after dessert, has friends who bring him presents, and can buy a new home at a whim. Notice also that he wears a tux with tails during the day.
There's a quality to this book that keeps drawing me to it, and even with multiple readings, that quality really is indescribable. It could be the quirkiness, the scarlet red appearing on every page, or the fact that a skunk would follow a man around relentlessly. Perhaps it is all three!
As I read it aloud to myself, here at home during my 2015 summer months, the mystery only deepens for me. The Skunk fascinates me much in the same way that Sam and Dave Dig a Hole did, and I predict it will have the same positive reaction from the readers in my library this fall.
The Skunk: A must-have if you love picture books as much as I do. And also if you wonder what you would do if a skunk followed you.
Read more about this book here.
Much of the book cannot be predicted. (This is part of its appeal.) Readers will wonder if the skunk keeps following, and though cheering the man on, will also hope it does!
Other points to notice are the city spots: the opera, a sculpture garden -- two artistic places, and yet, along with it -- a carnival. The juxtaposition of these locations show the reader that the man in this book has depth! And though he runs from a skunk, he is also unafraid -- walking into the sewers and even the alley. The other things we know about him: he dances after dessert, has friends who bring him presents, and can buy a new home at a whim. Notice also that he wears a tux with tails during the day.
There's a quality to this book that keeps drawing me to it, and even with multiple readings, that quality really is indescribable. It could be the quirkiness, the scarlet red appearing on every page, or the fact that a skunk would follow a man around relentlessly. Perhaps it is all three!
As I read it aloud to myself, here at home during my 2015 summer months, the mystery only deepens for me. The Skunk fascinates me much in the same way that Sam and Dave Dig a Hole did, and I predict it will have the same positive reaction from the readers in my library this fall.
The Skunk: A must-have if you love picture books as much as I do. And also if you wonder what you would do if a skunk followed you.
Read more about this book here.