Review: Oh, the things that go unseen.....
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 14, 2014
Michigan author Talia Haven and San Francisco illustrator Sytiva Sheehan have developed a book that has many layers of appeal and many aspects that will make it a definite favorite among children. The illustrations are imaginative and charming and the idea behind the story has many lessons.Ten brownies look after the houses of children who neglect their duties. One watches children sleep, guarding dreams and `fence leaping sheep'. Two brownies pick up clothes and toys form messy children's play. Three brownies catch a mouse, four brownies mend socks and re-stock the sewing box, five brownies sweep the rooms, six brownies take a break, seven brownies mop the floors and wash the window and polish doors, eight brownies feeds the hens and collect the eggs and clean the pens, eight brownies tend to the garden, ten brownies scrub pans while one brownie falls into a tub - requiring rescue.The book has the feeling of an old fairytale - the drawings match the mood so well and remind us of the old storybooks of yesteryear. But aside from the beauty of the book the readers are encouraged to count - and to save the brownies some work by picking up after themselves, doing cores, and so forth. This is an art book and a lesson book that has a very special flavor. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, April 14