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A review by jecoats
The Blue Sky by Andrea Petrlik Huseinović
5.0
The Blue Sky is a Croatian picture book from 2001, written and illustrated by Andrea Petrlik Huseinović. I actually discovered this title while watching Dr. Quiroa’s video on the International Digital Children’s Library. Dr. Quiroa seemed enthusiastic as she previewed the title, so I thought I’d give it a read. The Blue Sky is also the winner of the Grigor Vitez Award, a Croatian award given to children’s books with outstanding literary text and illustrations.
Although The Blue Sky is a short tale, it is a powerful story about a young orphan girl attempting to find her mother “among the clouds” (p. 6). As the nameless girl waits alone in her tower, she begins to feel less lonely as she befriends the birds that soar among the clouds. Soon, she encounters other animals, such as a snail, a mouse, and an elephant; each one reminding her of her mother. Some of the animals even talk to the girl, telling her stories of how her mother had once offered them aid of some sort. Eventually she meets one final bird that offers her the opportunity to be reunited with her mother.
As I mentioned above, this is a powerful short story about loss, memory, longing, and ultimately hope. The text may be simple and concise, but it’s also lovely and poetic. One can tell that Huseinović took time to craft a story that would appeal to both younger children (short, simple sentences) and older children (prose that tackles complex themes and emotions). The images in the book are gorgeous, using a mostly blue/grey/white motif. I thought I would grow tired of the color scheme, but I found myself mesmerized by every beautiful image. Many of the pictures span two pages, which I think helps Huseinović depict how vast and infinite the sky is as well as portray the nameless girl’s loneliness. The images also have a painted, brush stroke look to them (I’m not sure if the images were actually painted or just drawn to look that way), which underscores the fantastical, fairy-tale like nature of the narrative. The abundant use of blue is also a brilliant touch as it visually communicates the nameless girl’s sadness to the reader.
As a high school teacher, I think this book could be used in a unit on creative writing as it is a great example of how to craft a simple but emotionally satisfying work of fiction. This could also be used in an art class as a model for creating beautiful images using a simplified, minimal color pallet. For younger readers (and even older readers), I think this title would be a great bridge to having discussions about emotions or dealing with loss. And for middle school readers, this text could serve as an exemplar on how to create short narratives using simplified storytelling techniques.
Children’s Books in Children’s Hands discusses various criteria for evaluating international children’s literature, such as readers of a “new” audience being able to identify with the text’s themes or characters, as well as a new audience comprehending the intended meaning of an international book’s illustrations (pp. 124 - 125). However, I would argue that this is not a concern here as the themes of this book are universal and the images, specifically the use of the color blue, would be understood by English speaking audiences outside of Croatia.
One aspect about The Blue Sky that may be missing is a connection to inclusion or social justice themes. However, I think because The Blue Sky could be used as a means to have a larger discussion about sadness, loss, and even depression, the book could be a way to help normalize or destigmatize openly expressing emotions, especially for middle and high school students. Seen in this way, the book could be used to create a more inclusive and welcoming space for students to freely share their stories and their feelings without the worry of being mocked by their peers.
Although The Blue Sky is a short tale, it is a powerful story about a young orphan girl attempting to find her mother “among the clouds” (p. 6). As the nameless girl waits alone in her tower, she begins to feel less lonely as she befriends the birds that soar among the clouds. Soon, she encounters other animals, such as a snail, a mouse, and an elephant; each one reminding her of her mother. Some of the animals even talk to the girl, telling her stories of how her mother had once offered them aid of some sort. Eventually she meets one final bird that offers her the opportunity to be reunited with her mother.
As I mentioned above, this is a powerful short story about loss, memory, longing, and ultimately hope. The text may be simple and concise, but it’s also lovely and poetic. One can tell that Huseinović took time to craft a story that would appeal to both younger children (short, simple sentences) and older children (prose that tackles complex themes and emotions). The images in the book are gorgeous, using a mostly blue/grey/white motif. I thought I would grow tired of the color scheme, but I found myself mesmerized by every beautiful image. Many of the pictures span two pages, which I think helps Huseinović depict how vast and infinite the sky is as well as portray the nameless girl’s loneliness. The images also have a painted, brush stroke look to them (I’m not sure if the images were actually painted or just drawn to look that way), which underscores the fantastical, fairy-tale like nature of the narrative. The abundant use of blue is also a brilliant touch as it visually communicates the nameless girl’s sadness to the reader.
As a high school teacher, I think this book could be used in a unit on creative writing as it is a great example of how to craft a simple but emotionally satisfying work of fiction. This could also be used in an art class as a model for creating beautiful images using a simplified, minimal color pallet. For younger readers (and even older readers), I think this title would be a great bridge to having discussions about emotions or dealing with loss. And for middle school readers, this text could serve as an exemplar on how to create short narratives using simplified storytelling techniques.
Children’s Books in Children’s Hands discusses various criteria for evaluating international children’s literature, such as readers of a “new” audience being able to identify with the text’s themes or characters, as well as a new audience comprehending the intended meaning of an international book’s illustrations (pp. 124 - 125). However, I would argue that this is not a concern here as the themes of this book are universal and the images, specifically the use of the color blue, would be understood by English speaking audiences outside of Croatia.
One aspect about The Blue Sky that may be missing is a connection to inclusion or social justice themes. However, I think because The Blue Sky could be used as a means to have a larger discussion about sadness, loss, and even depression, the book could be a way to help normalize or destigmatize openly expressing emotions, especially for middle and high school students. Seen in this way, the book could be used to create a more inclusive and welcoming space for students to freely share their stories and their feelings without the worry of being mocked by their peers.