ISBN 9781460759998
Reviewed by Kylie Buckley
The Boy and the Elephant is a stunning wordless picture book from the
multi-award-winning author/illustrator Freya Blackwood. The images tell a
beautiful story of a little boy who lives in a bustling city, where everyone
around him seems to be consumed by constant busyness. Fortunately, he finds a
place of daily solace in the vacant lot next to his apartment where tall trees
grow. Within this rare and quiet space in nature the boy finds peace and
friendship. However, one day he discovers that the trees are earmarked for
logging, and all could be lost.
The Boy and the Elephant includes exquisite artwork on every page, the
high standard we have come to expect from Blackwood. The tactile cover and
tranquil endpapers set the scene for this visual delight. The illustrations
have been created using pencil and oil paints on watercolour paper. A
predominately cool toned green and blue colour palette has been used, creating
a beautiful sense of calm. The book comprises a variety of page layouts
including: single and double-page spreads along with vignettes and picture
sequences that create a reading path and convey a sense of time. Angles are
used to create a sense of space, and at times fragility.
The Boy and the Elephant is a gorgeous story about mindfulness,
imagination and the environment, highly recommended for readers aged 4 years
and older. New details in the illustrations will be discovered each time the
book is read and meaningful discussion is likely to stem from the variety of
inferences that the audience makes. The Boy and the Elephant is a
masterpiece in the promotion of visual literacy.
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