Little Boy Brown by Isobel Harris and Andre François

Title: Little Boy Brown
Author: Isobel Harris
Illustrator: Andre François
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books
Genre: Children’s Fiction
Pages: 48
Source: Personal
Rating: 4/5

I read Little Boy Brown. I finally picked it up and read it. It is a children’s book and yet says so much about the way we live our lives or that is what I took away from it. The book is actually about stepping out a lot more and seeing the world and living instead of being cooped at home. That is exactly what “Little Boy Brown” does one day and has the time of his life. He is all but four and a half years old.

The book is about childhood and its memories and what will stay and what will be forgotten. It is about Little Boy Brown who is lonely; whose parents have no time for him, and they live in a Manhattan hotel where everything is connected to subways and tunnels and elevators and they hardly get out as they are used to this life. Only the boy can go out and he loves it. So one fine day he steps out with Hilda – the family’s maid and sees her world, which changes the way he looks at things and people.

I absolutely loved this charming picture book which has so much in it for both, children and adults. There is so much empathy, sensitivity and a look at how different people lead their lives differently. It is about a city that is so fast-paced that it forgets people who lead quiet lives and there is so much to learn from those lives as well. The illustrations by Andre Francois are charming and all done in white and brown which make the book unique and quaint.

“Little Boy Brown” is a book to be read by everyone just to know that life is also about slowing down and smelling the roses once in a while.

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The River by Alessandro Sanna

Title: The River
Author: Alessandro Sanna
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books
ISBN: 9781592701490
Genre: Graphic Novel
Pages: 110
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 5/5

Another beautiful book read this month is “The River” by Alesanndro Sanna. It is so beautiful that maybe my review will also fall short in describing its beauty and grace. There are so many books out there I am sure that these adjectives might fit but for me this month till now at least it has been about “The River”.

Why do I like this book?

“The River” is all about seasons. The book starts in autumn and ends in summer and is beautifully depicted only through water-color paintings by the artist. There are words at the beginning of every chapter – but very few, giving you just the gist of what will come to be in the chapter. But you must pick up this book for the illustrations. They will leave you with a light heart and make you want to draw and paint and create something.

Alessandro Sanna draws subtle and yet meaningful connections between the geography, the landscape and the one thing that joins them all – The River. It is the kind of book that will get over very soon, but you would want to go back and start from the beginning. It is that good and beautiful.

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Ballad by Blexbolex

Title: Ballad
Author: Blexbolex
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books
ISBN: 978-1592701377
Genre: Children’s Books
Pages: 280
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 5/5

Suddenly picture books are the thing. They are the need of the hour. Thanks for my dear friend A, who runs the blog Blueberry And Me. She introduced me to picture books a lot more than I knew earlier. Picture books are profound and have a great impact on me at least. “Ballad” by Blexbolex is one such book that took me by storm this month. It is a story within a story and then again many stories within stories and opens a world unknown to the reader. With every turn of a page, there is something new to explore and understand. The book builds over seven sequences and they remain throughout the book and that is what is different and fascinating about this book.

“Ballad” takes place through a child’s eye of his world around him. The first are the school, path and home. The next build up to give us school, street, path, forest and home. With every turn there are new images and new world for the child to come across and learn. At the same time, there is Blexbolex’s unique story-telling that will have both adults and children gripped from the very beginning.

The story unfolds day by day, revealing little bit to the reader, keeping an element of suspense intact as well. Blexbolex’s style is avant-garde and something to definitely watch out for. The illustrations remind you of a time gone-by which will resonate beautifully with adults and will open a new world to children.

“Ballad” is actually that – a ballad that will make the heart soar and make you believe in everything nice. It is also never the same story twice. You will know what I mean when you actually start reading it. There are hidden scenes and it is definitely not a normal reading experience. I think it will appeal to all parents and children and you must go for it. A new author and a new book is always round the corner.

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The Lion and the Bird by Marianne Dubuc

Title: The Lion and the Bird
Author: Marianne Dubuc
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books
ISBN: 978-1592701513
Genre: Children’s Books
Pages: 64
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5/5

There are very few books that come along and change your life. You do not know in what way, but after reading them you are not the same and you can feel it so strongly that it takes your breath away. This happened to me when I read the most astonishing and enchanting picture book I have in a very long time. French Canadian graphic designer and illustrator Marianne Dubuc gives us this little piece of joy and ecstasy called, “The Lion and the Bird”. I had a problem procuring my copy since it is not easily available in India, but when I did receive it, I knew that I would love and cherish it forever.

As the title suggests, the book is about a lion and a bird. That is what it is. A lion finds a wounded bird one autumn day and his life changes in so many ways. He takes the bird in, heals it, and throughout autumn and winter the bird stays with the lion. They build a beautiful friendship and bond, which must come to an end because the bird will soon heal and fly and the lion will be left alone, as he was before the bird came into his life.

“The Lion and the Bird” is an ode to childhood and in so many ways an ode to adulthood as well. We all need to learn so many lessons as we go along – that of empathy, of being selfless sometimes, of understanding another’s sorrow and pain, and what life is truly about.

Marianne’s illustrations and use of space are breathtaking. The loneliness of the lion is depicted tenderly as he shrinks after the bird’s departure. The use of space is marvelously done and with great minimalistic effort.

This book is so appropriate for both adults and children. The eloquent pictures and story (almost wordless) go hand in hand and the words just become unnecessary. This is this beautiful rhythm to the book and though it is short, it just stays with you forever.