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erinnbatykefer 's review for:
The King and the Sea
by Heinz Janisch
This book wasn't so much a story as a series of poem-like vignettes about a king trying to claim power over various inanimate objects or natural features. Ultimately, he gives up that need to control, but it takes him awhile.
Reading each vignette felt like reading a koan-- like you should meditate on the idea that the sea just is for a day, that it cannot be told what to do, rather than jumping into the next vignette. In that context, I found The King and the Sea really interesting, but as a picture book for children, I wasn't impressed. I would have been bored with this as a child-- I was honestly kind of bored with it as an adult.
I also felt like the illustrations left a lot to be desired. They're cut paper and crayon, but the colors are odd and the king is stylized like one of those old-timey clowns, with a big red nose and sad eyes. It was offputting to say the least, and didn't add anything to the fragmented narrative.
Reading each vignette felt like reading a koan-- like you should meditate on the idea that the sea just is for a day, that it cannot be told what to do, rather than jumping into the next vignette. In that context, I found The King and the Sea really interesting, but as a picture book for children, I wasn't impressed. I would have been bored with this as a child-- I was honestly kind of bored with it as an adult.
I also felt like the illustrations left a lot to be desired. They're cut paper and crayon, but the colors are odd and the king is stylized like one of those old-timey clowns, with a big red nose and sad eyes. It was offputting to say the least, and didn't add anything to the fragmented narrative.