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A review by tashrow
The Boys by Jeff Newman
5.0
I only opened this book to get a feel for the sort of book it was. I was immediately captivated by the art, the wordless story. I set it down with misty eyes and a wide smile. What a book!
My problem is that I want you to discover it and I don’t want to mess any of its wonder of wordlessness up for you. I’ve tried to put words to it, but it seems to minimize the story, as if pinning it down removes the life from it. So I will briefly tell you the premise and proceed to gush about it in more general terms.
A young boy moves to a new town. He heads to the park with his bat, ball and glove. He watches from behind a tree but is too shy to approach the playing children on the baseball diamond. So he plunks himself down on a bench near some older gentlemen. The story continues from there. It is fresh, winning, and sweetly surprising. There is a universal quality to it, a subtle humor, and a lovely simplicity.
Newman has created a book that is an instant classic. His use of a vintage style works well with the subject, giving the book a timeless feel. The only words in the book are the days of the week as time passes, otherwise all of the story is told in the illustrations. Newman tells this story in the slump of shoulders, bowed head, glaring eyes, and a determined set of a jaw. There is never any doubt what the young boy is feeling because it is shown so clearly and yet with subtle skill.
Get this book, read it, read it again (because you must) and then decide what lucky person you will hand it to next. It is a book to read with someone on your lap, to savor and to simply enjoy.
My problem is that I want you to discover it and I don’t want to mess any of its wonder of wordlessness up for you. I’ve tried to put words to it, but it seems to minimize the story, as if pinning it down removes the life from it. So I will briefly tell you the premise and proceed to gush about it in more general terms.
A young boy moves to a new town. He heads to the park with his bat, ball and glove. He watches from behind a tree but is too shy to approach the playing children on the baseball diamond. So he plunks himself down on a bench near some older gentlemen. The story continues from there. It is fresh, winning, and sweetly surprising. There is a universal quality to it, a subtle humor, and a lovely simplicity.
Newman has created a book that is an instant classic. His use of a vintage style works well with the subject, giving the book a timeless feel. The only words in the book are the days of the week as time passes, otherwise all of the story is told in the illustrations. Newman tells this story in the slump of shoulders, bowed head, glaring eyes, and a determined set of a jaw. There is never any doubt what the young boy is feeling because it is shown so clearly and yet with subtle skill.
Get this book, read it, read it again (because you must) and then decide what lucky person you will hand it to next. It is a book to read with someone on your lap, to savor and to simply enjoy.