***This review contains a spoiler alert- you may NOT want to know how the story ends, so I'll warn you when you should stop reading. If you stop, though, hurry and get your hands on the book to find out for yourselves.
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| Eerdmans Books for Young Readers 2018 |
You won't want to miss reading THE LITTLE BARBARIAN, by Renato Moriconi.The unusual trim size will delight little hands. Exceptionally tall, narrow, and lightweight, this wordless book will intrigue even the youngest and encourage a page-turning, left-to-right orientation for those first developing book awareness.
That cover makes clear who the star of this show will be: a tiny, fearless warrior on his charging steed.
After reading, come back to examine this cover and share a chuckle.
The vibrant colors throughout, including the glossy green endpapers, add excitement and drama to the wordless adventures. On the title page the little barbarian is off at a run, with each page-turn leading him first to mount his steed, then rising and falling on successive pages to overcome (or under-come?) the many dangers throughout his journey. From the bottom of the page he is assaulted by flocks of birds, sky-giants, a fire-breathing enemy, pitchfork-wielding monsters, and more. On alternate pages he soars high to escape flames, one-eyed giants, omnivorous plants, sea monsters and more. Throughout it all, from that first sprint to his stallion, his eyes remain closed and his sword is ever-ready.
In the final page turns, he stalls at the bottom, page-left. Then his eyes open and his confident smile fades. Another turn shifts to a look of horror...
SPOILER ALERT: STOP READING IF YOU PREFER TO FIND OUT ABOUT THAT FINAL HORROR ON YOUR OWN!
Ready?
A massive bearded face appears upper right.
A hand reaches down toward the panicky, stationary little barbarian.
Then a (presumed) bearded dad (eyes closed) leads the howling little barbarian away from his valiant horse, one of many on the small merry-go-round.
After sharing a first read, the cover deserves that closer look and a shared chuckle.
Then successive turns through the book will provide an entirely new awareness of the power of this story.
Repeated readings invite each reader, of any color or gender or age, to insert themselves into this eyes-closed adventure, imagining the many ways those up-and-down journeys could offer imaginative delights and conquests.
Any adults (or babysitters) who have ever dealt with a melt-down tantrum might reflect on what inner worlds of panic or distress the child could be experiencing, adding unknown drama to what appeared to be a simple situation. The book might even spark some conversations about that with children.
This charming homage to the power of imagination can, and should, encourage kids to spend more time interacting with the 3-D screens on the inner surfaces of their eyelids, offering scenes that never run out of batteries and only improve with practice.
* * *
So here's my postponed introduction and, perhaps, a moment of ZEN:As we enter the winter/holiday season, adult caregivers have more leverage to achieve kid-compliance. Even so, anecdotal evidence indicates that kids might have more meltdowns in the weeks ahead than typical. When the stress of time, budgets, and endless lists (shopping, wish, and to-do) fill adult lives, and kids imaginations are triggered by every sparkling bulb, advertisement, and store display, a howling meltdown becomes almost inevitable.
This book, shared lovingly and joyously, might lend some perspective to those situations, Maybe even prevent a few. Closing your eyes, breathing slowly, and pausing to connect could be practiced in advance (and during) tough times.
Even if that is unrealistic in your situation, sharing ANY book during a quiet time can help the toughest days end lovingly.
Take the time to do that, please, and remember that every child has a bit of the Little Barbarian in him or her.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for a free and fair review.
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