Jabberwocky

Gr 2-4–The nonsense poem of Lewis Carroll is brought to life as a long-haired warrior wearing a loincloth, both hands grasped around the hilt of a sword, stares into the distance. Badgers, tortoise, and parrots “gyre and gimble in the wabe,” moving in every direction around a sundial in a forest scene bathed in golden light. “Beware the Jabberwock, my son!” is paired with a full-page bird’s-eye view of a dry riverbed with enormous footprints, conveying a sense of danger. The Jubjub bird and Bandersnatch fill the pages as a menacing pterodactyl-looking bird and warthog. Soon the Jabberwocky appears, here a slathering dragon with sharp teeth and golden eyes. The warrior, small in size compared to the Jabberwocky, pulls back his sword and triumphs over the beast as he stands atop the severed head. Finally, arms raised in victory, the warrior is depicted with a laurel-leaf crown against a blazing orange background: “O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!” The beast is vanquished and the warrior is triumphant.