It's Not Very Complicated - Hardcover

Samuel Ribeyron

 
9781478870319: It's Not Very Complicated

Synopsis

A boy and his neighborhood friend Louise spend their days creating chalk-drawing worlds around their homes. When Louise asks the boy what he has in his head, the boy’s imagination takes the reader on a fascinating journey. When he returns, he finds that Louise has moved. Unable to cry, he wonders what he has in his heart. The answer will surprise and delight readers.

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About the Author

Sam Ribeyron is a graduate of the Émile-Cohl school in France and has been inspired by his numerous trips, notably to China and Japan. He writes and illustrates books for children and directs animated films.

Reviews

Gr 1–3—In a picture book that counts on readers to fill in the emotional blanks, Samuel and his friend Louise (both white children) spend their time creating fantastic forests in crayon, ostensibly for the not very lovely space between their houses. Louise asks Samuel what's in his head, and when Samuel looks inside his imagination, he finds a variety of beautiful and scary things, which, when he returns, are represented by the drawings on his page. However, Louise is gone. Checking his heart, he finds that Louise now lives there, permanently. The metaphorical story is aimed at older readers than the general picture book audience. Children will struggle with reality versus the fantasy portion of this book, and some of those pages are quite frightening. No matter how poetic, Louise's disappearance will worry some. The book may serve as a springboard for conversation with older students for discussing their inner lives as well as the need for talking about feelings, particularly of loss. The art is created with blocky, cold shapes that somehow convey grief and sorrow. VERDICT A good mentor text for older students, this will need one-on-one sharing for younger readers.—Debbie Tanner, S D Spady Montessori Elem., FL

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Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9781478870326: It's Not Very Complicated

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  147887032X ISBN 13:  9781478870326
Publisher: Reycraft Books, 2021
Softcover