<i>More</i> (review)
2012; Johns Hopkins University Press; Volume: 65; Issue: 9 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1353/bcc.2012.0358
ISSN1558-6766
Autores ResumoReviewed by: More Hope Morrison Springman, I. C. More; illus. by Brian Lies. Houghton, 2012. 34p. ISBN 978-0-547-61083-2 $16.99 R 4-7 yrs. It all starts innocently enough: a mouse gives a shiny green marble to a magpie, who tucks it away in his nest. Soon the magpie is collecting other found objects—a Lego, some coins, a chess piece, a toothbrush—until he has become a full-scale hoarder with multiple nests stuffed full of his findings in the branches of his tree. Magpie's obsession literally reaches a breaking point when the weight of the collections breaks a branch off the tree and sends Magpie in a downward spiral of stuff. A group of mice helps Magpie climb out of the rubble and select a few favorite pieces; the magpie then flies off with his few treasures, free from the piles of belongings. While the grander social commentary about overconsumption may be somewhat lost on the intended audience, the lesson about living simply carries here, gracefully communicated both in the illustrations and the spare text. Only a word or two is included on each spread ("A few, // several, // more // and more // and more. // Lots. // Plenty"), allowing the viewer ample opportunity to focus on the acrylic and colored pencil compositions, which boast definite "I Spy" appeal. The animals are depicted with vivid photorealism, careful attention given to the detail of each individual tuft of feather and fur; the backgrounds, cream-dominant handmade papers rich with earthtoned texture, lend an element of calm to potentially chaotic compositions. While this particular magpie may have learned his lesson, you still might want to look upwards the next time you lose your sunglasses. [End Page 481] Copyright © 2012 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
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