“JeJe’s grandfather was a librarian at an old library in the middle of the forest” is how Tae-Eun Yoo‘s stunning debut begins. From here Yoo takes us on a magnificent illustrated journey with JeJe as he explores the library with his little red fish at his side. Soon JeJe falls asleep and when he wakes he finds that his comrade has disappeared into the biblio-ether of the library. To find his fish JeJe must dive head first into a book, entering a magical new world in pursuit of his little friend.
The soft elegance of the sepia-toned illustrations carry us along, comfortably, while the occasional brilliant flash of red reminds us of the importance of the journey and the unlimited possibilities that await us in the world of books.
The book is beautifully designed by Lily Malcom, the art director at Dial Books for Young Readers, and is a real testament to the added power good design brings to the life of a book.
Book Patrol puts it on the: Second Shelf
The details:
Yoo, Ta-Eun. The Little Red Fish. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2007. 9.25 x 6.25. [40pp.]. Illustrated endpapers. Bound in red cloth with illustration inset on front board. Designed by Lily Malcom. $15.99