Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5.0 out of 5 stars
A fantastic picture book, July 27, 2008
This is a new type of Picture Book for a new audience; a child-like fairytale designed to appeal to the child in us all. Within these pages are to be found some of the finest illustrations to appear in recent times, in one fantastic collection. The book may be interpreted on a wide variety of different levels, incorporating as it does, ideas drawn from classical culture, philosophy and science. Its appeal and fascination will grow with the developing reader. Designed to be a classic from the moment it is published, it rewards repeated reading. The more we look, the more we see. Just beneath the surface lies a rich collection of cloaked and secret details. If magic could truly exist in our real world this book might serve as a sign post, pointing us in its direction.
The story features Clara, a young girl `simple and sweet', whose sleeping adventure, in the best tradition of this genre, causes her to meet a multitude of interesting, if sometime disturbing, creatures. The narrative of Clara's passage through the house, from the front door on the cover of the book to the daylight world of the safe back garden is an allegory for any journey through the night. Each page of the book is also a door, granting access into a new room within Clara's imagination and within our own. In each room a new `creature' is encountered. As we travel towards the centre of the book the `creatures' seem darker, as does the Night. In time, Clara wakens, frightened by some of the creatures she meets. On her return to sleep the creatures become more benign, as now travelling towards morning, everything begins to lighten. The centre of the book holds those creatures that lurk deepest in our imaginations, and lie furthest from the light of understan!
ding.
The ambience and atmosphere of the work is sustained through use of candlelight, rich drapery, and long shadows. Even the light from a single candle becomes a metaphor for the brief, delicate life associated with its small glow. The very folding of cloth, the appearance of the Moon, stars in the firmament, the search for answers, and the continued appearance of particular objects which travel with Clara through out the paintings all become pregnant with meaning.
Whilst at one glance it can be easily understood by children, its multitude of meanings and layers within both the text and the paintings make this book a very treasure trove of allusions and hidden references for an educated, adult audience.
Buy it! It's a book that you will go back to, time and again
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