Walker ISBN 9781406378658 £12.99
Second in a trilogy about shapes, Square is as unexpected as it is comical. The character, Square, spends his days pushing square blocks up a hill onto an ever-growing pile. ‘This is his work’ catapults us into the world of metaphor for monotonous employment. Is it fulfilling for Square? Does he enjoy it? What’s his motivation? One day Circle floats by and immediately hails Square as a genius sculptor for his brilliant self-portrait and requests one for herself the next day. Square is plunged into frantic activity trying to create something as perfect as Circle. He works tirelessly ,and ultimately, he thinks, fruitlessly, through a rain-soaked night. When Circle returns, she finds the results of his labours beautiful and, once again, calls the baffled Square a genius. ‘But was he really?’ – the final sentence – is a brilliant starting point for discussion. Does it matter that the beautiful thing he created was not intentional? Is accidental Art really Art? Maybe it is all about looking and seeing the wonder and beauty in surprising places. The board covers do not enfold the type of early shape book we have come to expect for young children. There are no bright colours and yet the way Klassen creates a landscape and characters from a monochrome palette, simple shapes, the addition of eyes and a deft shadow line to suggest floating almost defies belief. The mere addition of a bent twig on Square’s corner adds wistful humour. Reception and Y1 will enjoy this hugely and might even create their own shape characters and stories.
Sue Barrett, retired teacher and lecturer