Barnaby Unboxed!

In 2020, the talented Fan brothers—Terry, Eric, and Devin—released the engaging, thought-provoking, and moving picture book, The Barnabus Project. Now, four years later, the brothers have collaborated to produce a delightful companion book, Barnaby Unboxed! In the first book, readers were introduced to the Perfect Pets business involved with the creation of so-called perfect pets. That book centred around Barnabus and other failed experiments—pet creations that did not quite work out as they were supposed to. Barnabus and his companions escaped from the basement laboratory to the freedom of the outside world. As Barnabus escaped, he briefly encountered Barnaby, a similar looking creation boxed and labelled for purchase as a fully trained perfect pet. Barnaby Unboxed! relates the story of Barnaby once he has been purchased and taken from his box into the loving embrace of a little girl.

Barnaby is “half mouse and half elephant, with just a dash of flamingo” (Barnaby is pink, whereas Barnabus had been grey). Early in the book, readers see the same cityscape scene that appeared in The Barnabus Project. The Perfect Pets store is on the ground floor of a building which also houses a paperclip business. An Italian bakery is nearby, as is a laundry. In each of the books, the street is described as “a perfectly ordinary street.” Yet, in Barnaby Unboxed! mention is made of the fact that “rather extraordinary” events had occurred on that street recently. As such, the streetscape appears a little different as the failed experiments escaped in The Barnaby Project, buildings were damaged. The buildings are now depicted as undergoing reconstruction and renovation. The nearby water tower toppled from its perch as the failed experiments escaped. Appropriately, that tower is now absent from the skyline. Readers will enjoy studying the street scene setting of both books to identify the similarities and differences contained in the Fan Brothers’ delightful artwork.
As with all of the Fan brothers’ art, in Barnaby Unboxed! the illustrations are vibrant and detailed. They were rendered in graphite and then coloured digitally. Each illustration reflects the colourfully creative imagination of the Fan Brothers—they obviously see the world in bright colours and take interest in their surroundings.

In Barnaby Unboxed!, a little girl is delighted to acquire Barnaby from Perfect Pets. She loves her pet and takes great care of it until the day when she sees a television advertisement for Rainbow Barnaby—a multi-coloured upgrade on the pet she already owns. The girl’s affections are immediately transferred from her Barnaby pet, and she begs her father for the new Rainbow Barnaby. Upset and neglected, Barnaby runs away and must make his way in the difficult and dangerous outside world.

I expect the Fans are animal lovers. Barnaby Unboxed! has obvious links to the countless family pets who enjoy loving affection and attention when they are pups or kittens but then gradually are neglected as they get older. Sadly, these pets are sometimes abandoned in city laneways or country forests. The book offers a powerful avenue for readers to think about the way they provide care for the animals in their lives. The book is strong enough that the reader feels for Barnaby and wishes for him a change of fortune.

Readers young and old will delight in Barnaby Unboxed!. Rather than a sequel, I identify Barnaby Unboxed! as a companion to The Barnabus Project. The stories originate from the same setting and feature characters with the same origins, but it is certainly not necessary to have read the one book to enjoy the other. People who enjoyed The Barnabus Project will want to add this new book to their collection, but Barnaby Unboxed! stands alone. Readers who missed the original book will find this latest Fan Brothers picture book as delightful as will readers who already own the first Perfect Pets story. The Fan Brothers continue to establish for themselves a reputation as some of the most exciting talent in the world of literature for children. Barnaby Unboxed! will add to their standing, delighting existing fans and attracting even more enthusiastic supporters.