Oh Tomie! Your illustrations are on point, but the story needs to be in a smaller format! I would love to see this in a lap size or even a medium sized board book. But don’t worry, I still love you Mr. D!
Quiet by Tomie dePaola is classic dePaola. A grandfather and his grandchildren go out to enjoy the world around them. While the world is busy and chaotic, there is also quiet to enjoy. The combination of spiritual and secular is there. You can feel the Christian background, but also Quiet has a very modern twist too. The sweet, innocent illustrations we know as dePaola are there. The mix of bold but also soft colors are popping off the page. There is no question this is a pure dePaola piece of work.
This is perfect for the child at bedtime to have read to them. If you are a collector of dePaola this is a must have for your collection. Or if you are looking for a baby shower or even as a wedding gift (if you like unusual gifts like I do) this would work as well. The size does lend itself to being read to a slightly larger group, however, it is still not in the traditional size of what we know as a picture book making a it harder for a very large group to enjoy it. This “medium size” helps keep the theme of “relaxation” and “slowing down” from becoming too busy with too much “size” (keeping the story in intimate) or to have the colors too overpowering.
(And this weekend I will be at work on my day off trying not to fan girl too hard that he is promoting his book at my store!)
I am commenting on my review because I was able to hear dePaola speak this past Saturday. He is 84 years old and still the coolest (I mean, the man knew Mr. Rogers!) However, I want to add this: While this book is about meditation is is not about “traditional” meditation. What he does IS meditation, but he calls “quiet sitting time” and he showed us how to do it during his talk. It is a great way to get people into “mediation” without calling it that; as people have a “block” and think they can’t “mediate” (I was one of them until a friend showed me how and I realize, I was “quiet sitting”). This book (and Mr. dePaola) proves ANYONE can “be quiet” and “mediate” (enjoy a moment of quiet).