Old MacDonald Had a Dragon
written by Ken Baker and illustrations by Christopher Santoro
Published 2012. The artwork is drawn well but is different from my taste. The story is a parody of ‘Old MacDonald Had a Farm’; it is creative, silly, and comes to a comforting end, but it never touches on a message and is mostly just a book to invoke a fun, ridiculous time.
Too Many Moose!
written by Lisa Bakos and illustrations by Mark Chambers
Published 2016. I liked the simple illustration style and vibrant colors used. The characters were charming and amusing, with textured colors that made them more engaging. Additionally, the illustrations had a nice variety, which was genuinely delightful. I like the message the story is hinting at, but right when the first conflict is told, the story is swiftly ending. I would like to see more of the conflict that was portrayed, as that was the aspect that could have been truly impactful and fascinating.
And if the Moon Could Talk
written by Kate Banks and illustrations by Georg Hallensleben
Published 1998. This art style won’t be for everyone, but I love seeing the gestures and strokes of the brush and painter’s marks. The balance of vibrancy between colors is lopsided, creating a unique and exciting visual for the book. The incredibly vibrant reds beside the dulled-down colors give a striking effect. The story evokes some of the same feelings as “Goodnight Moon,” but this story tries to balance a back-and-forth of stories. Our main story of a child readying for bed in between spreads as we see what else is going on beyond in places far and wide. It’s an interesting read and a simple ‘bedtime’ story.
The Aminal
by Lorna Balian
Published 1972. I enjoyed the lovely linework and the selective use of color. In some places, the illustrations were too soft or light and were hard to see, but that may be because of the age of the book. The text is a bit wordy, and the story is quite long but interesting. I loved seeing the different imaginations of each child and was hoping for a more engaging ending (for example, maybe the kid made it all up to be with others, or it was just a piece of junk), but the book is still worth a read.
Leprechauns Never Lie
by Lorna Balian
Published 1980. I love the monotone color with the splashes of green for the leprechaun’s hat. The story reads like an old fairytale, which I enjoyed. The message is nicely told, and the ending is one I did not see coming as I was reading it. It did make a fool of the child with little resolve or growth beyond that particular characteristic, so I’m curious to see how a child would receive this book.
If you liked this post, I hope you’ll consider becoming a free subscriber and joining our crew (discussions via Substack are always a delight!). That’s it for this edition of The Weekly Picture, I hope you have a wonderful day and as always, thank you for reading!
Caleb
