Scan barcode
A review by mat_tobin
They Say Blue by Jillian Tamaki
5.0
A beautiful meditation on the unfiltered curiosity of a child, Tamaki's debut follows a young girl through her day and finishes with a new dawn. The title itself is an indicator of the central theme of the book which is one child's questioning of the world from her own perspective and that of those who have told instructed her on it. Who the 'they' are, we can only assume, but that those voices carry an authoritative weight is clear.
In washes of acrylic on watercolour paper and photoshop, Tamaki captures the wonder and grace of a child exploring the world. She begins by reflecting on the sky, the sea and its denizens:
'They say the sea is blue, too. It certainly look like it from here. But when I hold the water in my hands, it's as clear as glass.'
The young protagonist goes on to observe and questions many things around her from colours to animals. When she arrives home after a wet day, she imagines herself sprouting into the form of a tree. Silent and contemplative, she observes her inner imaginings through seasons until she falls to sleep.
An ode then to the young imagination, one not yet shackled by any monotony or lost to the lure of electronic media. This is a young child with dreams and questions about the world and, for me, her story is a much welcomed addition.
In washes of acrylic on watercolour paper and photoshop, Tamaki captures the wonder and grace of a child exploring the world. She begins by reflecting on the sky, the sea and its denizens:
'They say the sea is blue, too. It certainly look like it from here. But when I hold the water in my hands, it's as clear as glass.'
The young protagonist goes on to observe and questions many things around her from colours to animals. When she arrives home after a wet day, she imagines herself sprouting into the form of a tree. Silent and contemplative, she observes her inner imaginings through seasons until she falls to sleep.
An ode then to the young imagination, one not yet shackled by any monotony or lost to the lure of electronic media. This is a young child with dreams and questions about the world and, for me, her story is a much welcomed addition.