The Incredible Freedom Machines
The Incredible Freedom Machines
With her freedom machine,
she was everything she had
ever dreamed of being.
In her unfurling world,
it was all she would ever need.
What if there was a special contraption that could be discovered to transport us anywhere and everywhere..? What if it was hard to come by, difficult to unearth, slow at first…and somewhat weather-dependent…? This debut picture book by Kirli Saunders, a Gunai writer from Australia, follows a young girl’s quest to get her own freedom machine as she grows up “in a world sewn together by boundaries.” And, while unstated in the lyrical text, the last image explains the metaphor. The freedom machine is READING!
Matt Ottley is a prolific Australian children’s illustrator whose work here is spectacular. We see our protagonist sailing above graffiti laden trailor parks and into deep blue seas, spotted pink pig a steadfast companion. We also see the tensions from encountering a freedom machine the wrong size and how hard they can be to navigate.
From beginning to end, this image of reading holds true and will be a superb talking point with audiences of all ages as well as the intended younger set. Look for new work from Kirli Saunders: this kind of originality heralds a bright future in the world of children’s publishing!
Bev Brenna is the author of over a dozen books for young people, including her new picture book, The Girl with the Cat (Red Deer Press, 2020). She is also a professor at the University of Saskatchewan where her research interests include literacy and children’s literature.