Is this book meant to convey some really deep meaning or life message? The words of the text do seem slightly philosophical, but it just doesn’t quite work for me at that deeper level perhaps because the illustrations, while fun and creative, seem to be aimed at a very young audience.
There are other books about pencils and drawing which break the fourth wall like this one – Bear Hunt by Anthony Browne and the classic book Harold and the Purple crayon.
This book actually seems a little derivative of those earlier and famous titles.
Some of my questions when I read this book:
- Where did the sailor hat come from?
- What is the role of the dog – a bystander? He seems quite threatening at times.
- Why did the mouse draw a boat? Is he preparing for an adventure?
- Where did the red ball come from? The size seems out of proportion with the mouse but if it is smaller than the mouse then it might be swallowed by the dog (if indeed it is his plaything?).
- If the mouse is offering advice to the dog, then the final illustration does not make sense because the dog looks worried about what he is seeing and for some strange reason his eyes have red vein lines?
I also found the blue fluffy coat worn by the dog a little odd.
Book design: I wish the designer had not included all of those full stops.
I found the final page quite confusing. The mouse says "ta-daa!" because he has successfully drawn his boat and is now able to sail away from the dog? Oh, and notice his pencil keeps changing from blue to brown to red back to blue and finally green. I guess this is hinted at in the pencil shavings on the front end paper.
Publisher blurb: A Squiggly Line is a story about the pursuit of one’s dream to create a masterpiece, similar to the rules of taming the life we live. The boy in the story starts with a blank page…he doesn’t know much about what he’s about to draw, but he knows he has a grasp on how to make it happen. During the process, even though his drawing may seem squiggly and messy at first, he soon discovers surprises along the way–surprises that he never thought existed. And from that moment, his creation comes to play.
But having said all of that I think it would be good to add this book to a preschool or infants school library and I like the pencil itself, I really like the end papers which, as I said, are littered with pencil shavings, and the stark white pages work well. Here are some teachers notes with very detailed art ideas.
You could pair The Squiggly Line with this book by Anthony Browne:
You can tell that this book confuses me - which is strange because it is surely a simple idea. I read the comments of one commentator who really liked this book. She said it could be aimed at unlocking emerging (and reluctant) writers? I confess this idea is a little to obscure or intellectual for me.
And the US bookseller Barnes and Noble said: Told in a unique way full of play and creativity, the story will send a powerful message about the endless possibilities of having fun with one’s imagination. It will help children to explore how they can turn a simple squiggly line into a playful idea. A Squiggly Line is a fun and entertaining story about how life is very much the same as a squiggly line. Our squiggly line, our life, is shaped by the directions we take in our lives and how we can develop the confidence and ingenuity to overcome the problems that try to trip us up. A Squiggly Line is a story about embracing life’s journey and creating the life you want. It shares lessons for life. It offers great advice for anyone. It’s a simple message about life and what it entails to sail on a pursuit of one’s dreams. This story will appeal to children graduating, celebrating a milestone or mastering the first day of school. It’s a great inspirational story to motivate children. Like the brave little mouse in the story, we all have a life that yearns to be created!
Here is a previous Robert Vescio book that I really enjoyed:
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