FICTION

The Wordy Book

by Julie Paschkis (text) & illus. by Julie Paschkis
Enchanted Lion. Sept. 2021. 48p. Tr $18.95. ISBN 9781592703531.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 3–With tree trunks whose bark is layer on layer of sinewy words, with landscapes that curve and coax along with playful energy about sounds and meanings, and with a sensibility that is part New Age and all childlike, Paschkis winds her way through paintings that ask questions and questions that point to many answers. The art is folkloric, with colorful birds, animals, and people, but also surreal in the compositions, which provide readers with plenty to consider: “Can I hold a castle in my hand?” appears next to a teapot; set inside the teapot is an elephant, ridden by a person balancing a castle. Parrots as symmetrical as a playing card ask, “Can you repeat that?” with the word repeat shown again, this time upside-down, within the text.
VERDICT As with Eden Cooper’s Remember the Night Rainbow, this book asks a lot but has perfect appeal for the dreamy child who loves to be immersed in both words and pictures.
Reviewed by Kimberly Olson Fakih, School Library Journal , Nov 01, 2021

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