  | Depth of the lake and the height of the sky Author: Jihyun, Kim | |
| Price: $17.95 | ||
Summary:
It's summertime and a boy and his dog are leaving behind their apartment in the busy city. His grandparents' home in the countryside feels like a different world. From the window, the curious boy sees a path leading enticingly into the forest. He can't wait to explore.
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (05/15/22)
School Library Journal (+) (00/05/22)
Booklist (+) (04/01/22)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 05/01/2022 PreS-Gr 1—A wordless picture book pays homage to the wonder of nature. The story opens with a boy playing on his bedroom floor, his desk and walls full of artwork. The boy, his parents, and dog leave the city cramped by buildings for the sparse countryside. After they reach the grandparents' home, the boy and his dog go down a path that leads to a lake. It is a quiet story without drama. Rather, the book is a call to pause, slow down, and enjoy nature. The illustrator used writing ink to draw and paint, and each spread is a masterpiece. In one scene, the clouds above the car are so detailed and clear that they look more like a photograph than a sketch. While many of the illustrations are a view of the boy from the side or behind, the most striking pictures are from the boy's perspective. For example, one scene shows the boy sprawled on the pier looking up; the next spread is the sun shining down. Another illustration depicts the boy and his dog gazing upwards. That is followed by the starry night sky, framed by treetops. VERDICT This may take some book-talking to engage children in such a slow meditative piece, but surely it will spark discussion and appreciation of nature afterwards. Leisurely and lovely.—Elissa Cooper - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 04/01/2022 *Starred Review* Wordlessly evoking wonder and an appreciation for nature is no easy feat, but in Jihyun’s debut, the feelings of a young boy are effortlessly portrayed, with subtle shifts in tone and color opening up vistas of the titular lake and sky. The narrative follows the child on a summer trip from the city where he lives to a cottage in the countryside. A palette of grays reveals blue undertones in the boy’s bedroom, the cityscape, and even the cottage, as the pages abound with eye-catching details: a toy car that looks like the family sedan, a dog playing with a ball and poking his head out the car window, family photos on the cottage wall. The road to the countryside forks as it crosses a blue river, signaling what lies ahead, and a path at the cottage bends until it ends at a lake where soft circles of blue beckon the boy to dive in. Under the water, the blues deepen, and fish and fronds reveal themselves below. Boy and dog return to the cottage as night darkens the sky into a swirling vista of stars mimicking the currents of the lake. Both boy and dog look up, entranced. This book of quiet beauty invites children to notice how depth and height can be similar. A stellar addition for all libraries. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.
