Snail by Minu Kim translated by Mattho Mandersloot

 

This is a gentle book with a big theme - growing up can be hard. The youngest brother really wants to ride his bike with the big boys but his legs are too small, his pushbike cannot go fast enough and soon he is left far behind. He keeps riding but then has an accident and all his pent up frustration of the ride and his brother's taunts and his own inability to ride fast enough comes pouring out.

But it can be okay to be small. The little boy spies a tiny snail climbing a tree and when he climbs up too he discovers a new perspective on the whole scene - he can see his way home and he can see small creatures (and boys) can be mighty.

From a visual literacy point of view it is interesting to see the way the first third of this book is done with black and white pencil sketches with the addition of tiny red spot colour used for the young boy's bike helmet so he is easy identify the hero of our story. Then about  two thirds of the way through the book, as the boy's anger cools, the sky fills with the colours of sunset. Make sure you stop to notice the tiny snail on the front and back end papers too. This echoes the theme that tiny things can have a big impact. Many pages of this book are wordless which I found meant I slowed down my reading and lingered over each scene. I also love the way the title on the cover looks as though it has been smudged by the wandering snail. 

Bookwagon adores Snail. Minu Kim’s debut picture book is a triumph, the illustrations initially reminding this reader of the works of Goscinny and Sempé, but then the perspective and use of line and sequence give way to a glorious, colourful philosophical reveal. We recommend Snail highly as a picture book to gift to all ages. It’s one to treasure, know and keep active in our minds and hearts.