Moletown

K-Gr 3—In this mostly wordless allegory, a mole moves into a verdant field. Soon, more moles join him, each new page depicting an expanding underground civilization. As time goes by, increasingly advanced digging machinery enlarges the moles' domain, creating a bustling metropolis but progressively destroying and polluting the meadow above until there is only a small patch of green in the glum industrial landscape. Front endpapers feature "History of Moletown"—black-and-white "photos" with allusions to iconic historical photographs such as "Lunch atop a Skyscraper"—while back endpapers include photos of the moles' efforts to preserve what's left of the environment. Kuhlmann's spreads masterfully play with shifts in perspective. Vignettes of moles in their burrows alternate with scenes of larger scope, such as the dizzying view of spiral scaffolding in a deep tunnel or an expansive urban intersection reminiscent of Times Square.