The Children Who Loved Books by Peter Carnavas
Check out the fabulous cover …. this is exactly what my reading piles have looked like the last few days – a very good thing, by the way! I’ve been oh so very blessed to be part of judging committee for a kiddie book award, and the latest batch of arrivals included some 50 books which must all be read by September 1. Talk about joyful binge-reading all weekend!
Angus and Lucy, the eponymous ‘children’ of this delightful story, utterly, completely, totally, understand that joy. Their parents, too, of course. For a family without a television, a car, or even a house, the one thing they did have was hundreds of books. Overcluttered and overcrowded, the tiny trailer they call home “could take no more” and the books “had to go.” But then nothing was quite the same with all that space, because with space came more distance – especially among the family. Until, that is, a single book falls out of Lucy’s school bag … and Dad starts reading out loud, and doesn’t stop …
Page after page, Australian author/illustrator Peter Carnavas’ visuals are invitingly enchanting, a mixture of seemingly effortless lines infused with cheerful colors; his style is reminiscent of award-winning writer/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds, working with a slightly brighter-hued palette. Likewise offered with whimsy, humor, and charm, Carnavas’ straightforward story has important life lessons to share: Take a break from our over-wired, over-committed lives of constant accumulation, reconnect with those who matter most (who probably happen to be under the same roof with you, ahem), and enjoy together the unlimited adventures offered in books. Carnavas’ latest title shows us that perfect, simple truth: “Angus and Lucy didn’t have very much, but they had all they would ever need.”
Readers: Children
Published: 2013 (United States)
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Discussion