Book

Book by David Miles, illustrated by Natalie Hoopes (Exisle Publishing)

HC RRP $24.99

ISBN 9781939629654

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

There is one general theme in this most perfect and stunning book. That is that a book can be your greatest companion in life no matter what. It can fill the empty spaces in your life. It can take you to places far beyond reality. It never lets you down. You can always turn to it when you want or need some special company. In all your varying moods, it’s the one constant thing.

I could wax lyrical forever but words fail me. They sit before my eyes but won’t come out through my fingers.

This book is a rare and grand visual feast in every sense. It is magnificent in design, layout, breathtaking detailed illustrations, content, text and theme. It is a collector’s book; a book lover’s dream.

I have to share what is written about the author. “David Miles makes books for a living. He reads books, writes books, sells books, thinks about books, drives to books, sleeps to books (but doesn’t eat books)”.  Only a person like this could have created a book like this. This is his second children’s picture book. But it took a special kind of artist to translate all that he had to say into pictures.

About the illustrator: “Natalie Hoopes was born with a head full of ideas. She decided that the only way to get them out was to be a painter.” Evidence of their love of what they do is here, documented forever. It’s available to all those bibliopoles whose heart pounds to the sound of words and turning pages as mine does. This is the most creative book I’ve held for years.