Author: Colin Thompson
Illustrator: Colin Thompson
Publisher: Random House, $17.95 RRP
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781741664201
For ages: 6+
Type: Picture Book
About: Author/illustrator Thompson must have so much fun creating his books. A prolific producer of an astounding array of beautiful publications, the author has captured flight in Falling Angels - so perfectly that I'm reminded of an exhilarating recurring dream that I can open my arms wide and lift off into the sky.
Sally could fly before she could walk. She floated high above her parent's bed one night as a young baby and hovered near the ceiling looking down in wonderment. She didn't see anyone else fly until she was seven and her baby brother joined her over the rooftops of their town.
As Sally grew, she visited many far off and exotic places on her fanciful travels and often returned with remarkable objects for her grandmother who finally reveals to her granddaughter that she, too, can fly. Amazed, Sally asks why other people cannot soar to faraway places, and Gran explains that people simply forget how.
Some people see with their eyes, you see. But others see with their hearts.
As Sally's grandmother nears the end of her life, Sally takes her on one last flight around the world, racing against dawn.
Beautifully emotional and highly imaginative, this book will entrance children of any age with its magical storyline and gorgeous illustrations, packed with lustrous detail. The double page spread of closed doors (for those who see the world with their eyes), when paralleled with a similar double page spread of open doors showcasing wonderments beyond (for those who see with their hearts), will bring tears to your eyes.
My only critcism with this book would be the confounding use of text boxes (complete with shadows) around the narrative - it truly puts an irritating stopmark over the flow and beauty of the illustrations and gives the book a dated look. However, if you can focus on the storyline and images, this is a small complaint.
Magical and thought-provoking.
