M is for Murals: An Alphabet Storybook

M is for Murals: An Alphabet Storybook is the story of the 13 large murals painted in Botwood, Newfoundland, between 2010 and 2020. The Botwood Mural Arts Society was formed to foster and direct this project which has been executed by both local and international artists. In 2018, the Botwood Mural Arts Society hosted the 2018 Global Mural Conference.

Alphabet books are difficult to execute. Many an author has struggled to find words to fit the letters k, q, u, x, y, and z and illustrate their theme. Trudy Stuckless has been successful in handling this challenge. The pages are illustrated with good quality photographs of the murals, the process of creating the murals, and the creators. However, the alphabet structure does not contribute to a logical and coherent story line. The text jumps from a concept (art), to the place, to a contributor, to the history portrayed in a mural, to another concept, to an artist and so on. The rhyming couplets for each letter do not allow enough scope to really inform the reader about the history of the place or the project.

The basic problem of the book is that, by choosing the alphabet structure, it is trying to be a book for young children, a goal it does not achieve. Perhaps the true goal was to provide an attractive book that visitors could take home to remember their visit to Botwood and perhaps share with grandchildren. The Botwood Mural Project is worthy of a visit and a memory book. This is not that book. The calligraphy (“cursive writing. We want you to read and write in this beautiful art form.”) detracts from the readability of the book for children. The alphabet structure makes the presentation of what could be interesting information disjointed and does not allow the text to develop momentum. Much of the information about the project is to be found in the notes at the end. (I also found helpful information on Wikipedia.) The photographs of the murals and their creators, while sharp and clear, rarely shows the full scope of a mural. Too many photos are often crammed onto the page.

Perhaps a book showing a full spread of each mural with its creator and a brief history of its creator would more serve the purpose. A story of two children riding bikes through town and visiting each mural could provide a thread to tie it together. More technical information could be included at notes in the back of the book.

As a grandmother looking for a gift to take home to my granddaughter, M is for Murals: An Alphabet Storybook would not tempt me. Even if I were looking for photos better than my own, this book would not be my choice.