Time is a Flower

Morstad explores the many ways to express the concept of time: as a ticking clock or numbers on a calendar; as a seed poised to become a flower, a tree, or person; as a setting sun or a memory, sometimes moving fast and other times slow; as a batch of bread; or a time out to think; or perhaps something else entirely. Using lyrical language formatted as free verse, Morstad asks readers to think, imagine, and consider the many activities that communicate time.

Employing an oversized format and thick cardstock, Morstad’s digitally enhanced pencil, marker, ink, and pastel artwork is a delight. Most spreads begin in black and white with colour added for backgrounds and accenting. The predominant hue is hot pink, with greens, yellows, and browns also appearing. Her examples speak directly to her young audience’s experiences: getting a haircut, waiting for school to be out, making a sandcastle at the beach. And while her text at times feels nebulous (“Is time a line? / Or maybe a circle?”) Morstad never fails to bring her audience back to reality, as in the answer to the above questions: “I don’t know but it’s time for dinner.” Readers have come to expect much from Morstad (It Began with a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way), and here she more than delivers.