The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers

Dave Eggers makes it clear from the first sentence that our story narrator is a dog. 

"I turn I turn I turn before I lie to sleep and rise before the Sun."

This is confirmed in the second paragraph:

"I am a dog called Johannes and I have seen you. I have seen you in this park, my home. If you have come to this park, my vast green windblown park by the sea, I have seen you."

This park is a wild environment but it is also a place frequented by humans for all sorts of activities many of which are a mystery to Johannes and his friends. Living in the park, behind a high fence, there are three Bison. I guess they are there as a draw-card for visitors but Johannes and the other animals know Freya, Meredith and Samuel are really the Keepers of the Equilibrium. Johannes is a free dog, a wild dog which means he can roam around the park. He has the important job of the Eyes reporting on all the park activities to the Bison. His friends are Bertrand a huge seagull; Sonja a squirrel; Yolanda a pelican; and Angus a raccoon. This team are the Assistant Eyes. All of them report to the Johannes and he then talks to Freya, Meredith and Samuel. Each of the animal characters has a very distinct personality. 

Yoland "like all pelicans, prefers to fly low low over the water, inches above the surface of the water. Yolanda also happens to be the only one among us who can read human written language, a gift she wear lightly."

Sonja "has a habit of showing up without saying hello, as if she's barged in on a private meeting. She's been on of the Assistants coming meet us on our rock, for probably six hundred years, so we cannot understand this, the way she persists with this initial shyness. She is missing an  eye, and the easy answer would be that this missing eye, lost in a fight with a crow, has caused her reticence."

Things are changing in the park. It is not exactly specified but I gathered the new building is an art gallery. The problem is, Johannes finds the art mesmerising and this means he puts himself in danger from the park authorities and the control-the-animals-people. Johannes is captured but it is by some hippies. This is a terrifying scene and a heroic rescue. Then a huge herd goats arrive to clear a large area of spiky weeds. His capture has made Johannes think about freedom and so he makes the huge decision to set the Bison free. This will take a huge team effort and while it seems completely impossible the outcome is sure to surprise you.

I held my breath when I looked to see IF Betsy Bird had read this book and then to see if she loved it as much as I did - YES she sure did! Here is an extract but please read her whole review - it is, as usual, eloquent and perfect. "You will find a thoroughly well-written, occasionally touching, funny, strange little book that sticks both its landing and in your memory. "

A confident writer that is confident for good reason is deeply satisfying. ... I devoured this book in a single sitting and would reread it happily if asked to do so, which I cannot say for every kids book I pick up. It’s the writing, man. It dares to be better, but doesn’t lose young readers along the way. There’s excitement and goats and near drownings and ridiculous disguises. It’s a legitimately fun book that soaked itself in great writing and isn’t afraid to show that writing off. I don’t know if it has what it takes to become a massive hit. I don’t know if other adult gatekeepers will agree with me on what it is doing (and how well). Fuse 8 SLJ Betsy Bird

There is a deeper story here, too, about being yourself and finding freedom. It is hinted at in the natural beauty of the deluxe version of the book, with its solid-wood front and back covers, and in Shawn Harris’s sublime illustrations. New York Times

Listen to an audio sample from the first chapter here. And the trailer is here. I highly recommend you share this trailer with a group of students when you introduce this wonderful book. More review comments here. 

One of the aspects of this writing that I found utterly delicious were the brilliant words and phrases used by Dave Eggers. Here are some examples: odorous, reticence, gravitas, all the hassles inherent in highly concentrated humanity, partake, maniacal, enumerate, privy to our deliberations and  judgements, sutured, paragon of valour, and validity. 

This book would be a perfect read aloud to a Grade 5 or 6 class. I wish I could, right now, put this book into the hands of a skilled teacher. This book is also perfect for animal lovers and readers who enjoy exploring a different perspective. In some ways this is a moving and serious story but there are so many quietly funny moments such as the way Johannes has absolutely no idea about numbers which means he exaggerates every time he talks about time or about the number of creatures in the park, especially the goats. Oh, and there is also the running joke about ducks and loons. 

Read this description of trucks that have a reversing beep - it will show you the way Dave Eggers adds touches of humour to his story and I am guessing he also dislikes this sound:

"And here I should say that of all the horrible things human have created, the most maniacal and wrong of them all is this, this intermittent screaming sound as their vehicles go backward. All of life stops when the screaming begins. All beauty ends, all music ends, clouds cleave, hearts break, and all of the world nearby waits, with breath held, for the sound to end. Nothing can be done during this mechanical wailing. No thinking, no eating, no running, no living."

And this one of the goats:

"The way they were eating the weeds was chilling. Would they eat us too? They seemed like vegetarians, but how could we be sure? There were so many of them. A thousand? A million? They could disappear the five of us in seconds."

There are two covers at the top of this post. The one that looks like wood is actually wood! and that is the one I bought. It also has gold embossed silky page edges and rich coloured art based illustrations.  This is the most expensive middle grade book I have ever bought at AUS$50 but it sure was worth it. The cover intrigued me and the Kirkus review convinced me and today, in one huge gulp, I read the whole book of 249 pages. 

Bison are such fascinating beasts. When I lived in Alberta there were several in a paddock near the town and very occasionally I would see them from my car. 

Betsy Bird said many people are not fans of animal books but this is not true for me. I did cry in Charlotte's Web but I also loved every word and similarly The Underneath is a book that moved me so profoundly - I have read it twice. Once you have read, and YES you must read The Eyes and the Impossible - head off to your library and try to find these:

Firstborn

A Wolf called Wonder

The way of Dog

Pax

Endling - The Last

Seekers - The Quest Begins

The Little Black Fish by Samad Behrangi illustrated by Farshid Mesghali translator Azita Rassi

ماهی سیاه کوچولو

"There was something wrong with Little Black Fish. He ached with longing to go beyond the stream, and to discover for himself what might be there. ... 'I must swim beyond the stream. I want to see if the stream goes on and on, or whether it comes to an end."

Everyone in this part of the stream warns Little Black Fish against the ridiculous, dangerous and unnecessary idea of leaving.  Little Black Fish tells his mother: "Perhaps there is more to life, and perhaps the world is more than our stream.' (No) 'Our stream is the world!' said his mother." Finally Little Black fish takes the plunge and and he slides down the waterfall. His journey has begun and, yes, the is a world beyond his home. He meets other creatures such as tadpoles, a frog, a crab and a shepherd boy with his sheep. A lizard warns him about the dangers that will be ahead - especially the danger of pelicans and later the danger of seabirds.

The lizard kindly gives Little Black Fish a small knife which he explains can be used to cut his way out of the pelican's pouch. 

"The more that Little Black Fish found out about the world, the more he realised that it was a dangerous as well as a beautiful place."

I am not going to share the ending because it is sure to shock you and lead to some very interesting discussions with your reading companion or senior Primary class. 

Publisher blurb Tiny Owl: Little Black Fish may be small, but he has big questions and a determination to find answers to them. While his fellow fish are too scared to do anything different from their set routine, Little Black Fish swims over the edge of the pool, into the stream and river which will show him much more of the world. He meets wonders and adventures, dangers and beauty. He makes it all the way to the sea, and finds his answers.

In 2012 I attended the IBBY Congress in London.  In one of the concurrent sessions the presenter Rosana Faría from Venezuela (illustrator of The Black Book of Colours) talked about her book Jacaraca, Perereca och Tiririca which she described as: An examination of the process of illustrating a story by Brazilian author Ana Maria Machado which resonated with the situation in Venezuela, a country which received immigrants in the 19th & 20th centuries and is now experiencing emigration. The story shows that strength is in unity and perseverance.  This session has lingered with me all these years later because Rosana astonished me when she explained how this book was actually a way to share a very powerful political message and how proud she was that the government authorities had not detected this. Her book could so easily have been banned but it was dismissed as a simple children's book - and therefore harmless!

When I ordered and received The Little Black Fish I thought again about Rosana's book.  The Little Black Fish could also be viewed as a simple fable for children but in this case Samad Behrangi's book written in 1968, did come to the attention of the authorities in Iran and it was banned but today it is one of their most famous children's books. I know the banning of books is a shocking thing but in this instance I am cheering because it shows this is not just a children's book - it can a powerful device with an important and a message!

Here is a quote from the final pages of The Little Black Fish: 

" First published in 1968, The Little Black Fish was written and read as a allegory for a nation in which is was dangerous to dare to be politically different. The book was banned in pre-revolutionary Iran. The simplicity of a 'children's story' about a fish daring to mix with other kids of creatures and other ways of life, offers a useful case for discussion by all ages about the big questions at the heart of political debate. Meanwhile, younger children will engage with the more individual experience of Little Black Fish. Would they dare go against what their protective mothers tell them? Can that ever be a good idea? The dangers are clear in this story, but so too are the rewards. Can they imagine what it was like for Little Black Fish, seeing new creatures and places for the first time? Being attacked and making new friends?"

You can see more art from this book here on Seven Impossible Things before Breakfast. And take a look at the book trailer from Tiny Owl. 

About the author and illustrator: Samad Behrangi was an Azeri teacher born in Tabriz. He collected folk tales and wrote tales for children in Azeri, Turkish and Persian. He was one of Iran's most influential authors and teachers. His tragically early death, rumoured to have been ordered by the Iranian government, has given him a legendary status. Farshid Mesghali is an Iranian animator, graphic designer, illustrator, animator and writer. In 1974, he received the international Hans Christian Andersen Medal for his "lasting contribution" as a children's illustrator.

At long last, books beloved by Iranian children can be enjoyed by children. ... It’s a book is about freedom, confinement, human possibility.  Like all the best picture books, it is both simple and profound. David Almond

Here is the cover from Iran: