Review by Booklist Review
ldquo;She was gone," begins this marvel of a palindromic picture book, as a son and father grieve together in their isolated mountain home. Nayeri's text is sparse but heartrending, sparking large questions that drive readers forward and allowing Rockefeller ample space to construct an evocative fantasy world. The boy, distraught, takes off with a sword and shield on a multi-spread odyssey through various terrains and fantastical encounters, fleeing from danger to danger on his quest to find "the answer." Rockefeller unifies each section under a common color tone, giving vibrancy and emotion to each segment as the boy escapes giant forest spiders, falls past mushroom-mining gnomes, crashes into a water serpent's murky lake, washes ashore a crystal desert, and finally finds the wintry ruins of a collapsed tower. There stands a statue of a woman, strangled by an evil vine, and the story's central line, its hinge, is presented: "Mom, were you glad you were Mom?" As the story-wide palindrome begins its reverse course, the boy journeys back home, the answer held to his heart, and it provides the key to unlocking the secrets hidden within the previously fled obstacles. Repeat readings will be demanded, with the wildly detailed full-bleed art, paneled by artfully "painted" wood-frame gutters, providing unnumbered symmetries and connections for readers to discover. A touching triumph of artful collaboration between wordsmithing and world building.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Inside an idyllic hilltop cottage, beneath a portrait of two parents and a young child, a bearded adult and the child, a boy, sit alone and bereft: "She was gone." A page later, as the remaining caretaker struggles in the kitchen, the boy bolts in frustration ("He no longer believed... they would make it"). Outside, he snatches a sword and escapes into the woods, heading underground, slipping into a body of water, and emerging into worlds beyond. Within a snowy castle, he activates a glowing talisman that brings a stone image of his mother to life, at least long enough to answer a burning question. As the boy's quest progresses, the phrases of the text repeat in a mirrored narrative that initially reflects the boy's despair and, read in the reverse on the way home, conveys hope and resolve. Magnificently illuminated, video game--like spreads by Rockefeller (Poesy the Monster Slayer) feature stone ruins, menacing dragons, and ornaments that give the pages a book-of-hours feel. Printz Medalist Nayeri, meanwhile, distills an experience of grief, imparting the importance of seeking time alone to relive moments of shared love. Characters are portrayed with pale skin. Ages 4--8. Illustrator's agent: Joanna Volpe, New Leaf Literary & Media. (Oct.)
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