Sonata for Fish and Boy

It seems odd to imagine that a wordless book could be a vocabulary enhancer. However, Sonata for Fish and Boy might be just such a book. I confess that before checking the word for this review, I had only a vague idea of what a sonata might be. I certainly was aware it was a musical term, and, in many respects, Sonata for Fish and Boy is a musical book. The term sonata refers to instrumental music, and the music of a violin is at the heart of Milan Pavlović’s book. The book demonstrates the power of music to transport us to different places and to transform the ways in which we see the world. In this case, a fish jumps out of the water to go on a journey with a boy playing a violin. The fish and boy are launched into an exciting dreamworld where anything seems possible.

Pavlović’s artwork was created using coloured inks and pencils on watercolour paper. The illustrations flow from one page to the next with gentle rhythm. Swirling lines and rounded shapes lend a sense of movement to the artwork. Colour is also used in an effective manner. The opening spread contains a rather gloomy underwater image consisting of browns, greys, and muted greens and blues. A similar colour palette was employed for the second, above water, image, but a hint of red has been added. The fish jumps from the water to join the boy, and things quickly become more colourful and vibrant with increasing infusions of red, pinks, and oranges with each turn of the page.

Music has the power to change, sustain, and enrich life. Sonata for Fish and Boy provides for readers an interesting reflection of this power. Parents and teachers with an especial love of music will enjoy sharing this book with the young children in their lives.