Child of Glass

K-Gr 2–Life is hard for any child who is different—but for a child who is not only different but also transparent, enduring ridicule from others can be suffocating. Gisele was born transparent: she blends into the scenery around her and is such an anomaly that people come from far and wide to lay eyes on her. With her transparency, however, comes the fact that her thoughts, good and bad, are clearly visible to those around her. While this was helpful in her childhood, her thoughts become more complex and troubling as she ages. This alienates her from others who cast her aside, no matter where she goes. Ultimately, Gisele learns an important lesson and the trajectory of her life changes completely. Using an interesting mix of opaque and translucent pages, Gisele’s story is told both in words and images. Interestingly, Gisele is naked throughout the story while others around her are clothed, echoing the nakedness of her thoughts. The illustrations are created in a style of collage-abstraction, their varying colors and textures representing the world in a visually intriguing way. Though there is a moderate amount of text and some pages are devoid of words completely, the message the story sends will resonate deeply with readers of all ages.