FICTION

In a Village by the Sea

by Muon VAN
illus. by April Chu. 32p. Creston. 2015. Tr $16.95. ISBN 9781939547156.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2—This is a magical story set in Vietnam, with moody and emotive illustrations. With a classical storytelling structure and lyrical text, the narrative describes a fisherman at sea thinking of his home, as the images draw viewers in closer and closer, first to the house, then to the kitchen, and onward until finally they focus on a tiny brown cricket in a tiny hole painting a tiny picture of the very same fisherman at sea dreaming of home while waiting out a scary storm. The illustrations are lovely, with an amazing use of perspective, changing the viewpoint on every page and conveying the simple tale of a fisherman longing for the warm home, wife, baby, and dog that are waiting for him. The text pairs beautifully with the detail of the images, which offer plenty to pore over.
VERDICT A delightful and quiet read that effectively evokes the book's setting.
Reviewed by Sharon McKellar, Oakland Public Library, CA , Aug 01, 2015

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