CM Magazine: Tiny, Perfect Things.

________________ CM . . . . Volume XXIV Number 39. . . .June 8, 2018

cover
Tiny, Perfect Things.

M. H. Clark. Illustrated by Madeline Kloepper.
Seattle, WA: Compendium (Distributed in Canada by Design Home (http://www.designhome.ca), 2018.
32 pp., hardcover, $27.50.
ISBN 978-1-946873-06-4.

Preschool-grade 2 / Ages 2-7.

Review by Reesa Cohen.

*** /4

excerpt:

Today we keep our eyes
open for tiny, perfect things
Like here, on the ground,
a yellow leaf that the wind blew down.
A spider’s web that’s caught the light.
A snail that climbed the fence last night.
See all the crows up in the tree?
I watch them and they watch me.

Encased in the glory of beautiful, dynamic illustrations is a sweet story of a little girl and her grandfather taking a walk on a lovely day, appreciating the abundance and beauty of nature. The drawings on the front flyleaf invite and help to entice the reader join them in this journey. There seems to be so much to see and admire in their surroundings, whether it is a fallen leaf, a spider web, some flowers, a snail, birds, animals and even people in their neighbourhood. Via the simply, but eloquently told rhyming, lyrical text, the reader will discover the joy of taking time to observe and experience all that a day has to offer, especially when one can share it with a loving family member.

The illustrations in Tiny, Perfect Things are bold and dramatic extolling the beauty of nature. The media of coloured pencils, gouache and photoshop feature glorious shades of green, orange, reds, browns and yellow and result in a textured-like quality. Yet as detailed as they are on many pages, there is a childlike quality to the illustrations that emphasizes the youthful wonder of exploration and curiosity. In the end, the reader is invited to look closely at the pullout spread to find “the many perfect things” therein.

Recommended.

Reesa Cohen is a retired Instructor of Children’s Literature and Information Literacy at the Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, MB.

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