Imagine a Day. Sarah L. Thompson. Illustrated by Rob Gonsalves. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster (Distributed in Canada by Simon & Schuster Canada), 2005. 32 pp., cloth, $19.95. ISBN 0-689-85219-3. Subject Heading: Imagination-Fiction. Grades 1-5 / Ages 6-10. Review by Gail Hamilton. **** /4

excerpt:

Imagine a day…
…when your wishes float
on a puff of air
to summon back the blue.

Imagine a day…
…when your house enfolds you
like a nest,
rocking gently
in the autumn wind.

Winner of the 2005 Governor General’s Literary Award for Illustration and companion to Imagine a Night, this critically acclaimed book encourages readers to go beyond the limits of their imaginations and to step into a world where nothing is quite as it seems. The text, although lyrical, takes a back seat to Gonsalves’ phenomenal illustrations which have been influenced by his study of Surrealism and architecture and by his work as a trompe l’oeil and theater set painter. Cathedral steeples become evergreen trees on the mountains, the water in a moat turns into mirrored tiles, and the tributaries of a meandering river become tree roots. Gonsalves’ unique sense of depth and perspective causes readers to give each painting a second glance, and subsequent readings yield even more details which might have gone unnoticed the first time around. Rich tones of robin’s egg blue, terra cotta and grass green add vibrancy to the paintings while the interplay of light and shadow contributes to the air of mystery and playfulness.

     Definitely worthy of purchase!

Highly Recommended.

Gail Hamilton is a teacher-librarian in Winnipeg, MB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

Hosted by the University of Manitoba.

 

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