Juniper Berry by M.P. Kozlowsky illustrated by Erwin Madrid

My parents changed. "I can't describe it exactly. It's like all the lights in the house won't turn on anymore and it's always dark, and they can't see me. Like I don't even exist."

Juniper Berry lives a lonely life. Her parents are famous actors and they have made their home into a fortress. Juniper has no friends only a series of tutors and she lives behind a high wall removed from the real world. Her parents love and fear the paparazzi. Sure the house is filled with anything she might want but things are not friends. She used to have a good relationship with her mum and dad but recently that has changed. They no longer talk to Juniper. All they care about is their fame.

"One of these days her parents would come home from work and be thrilled to see her. The rest of the day would be spent in each other's company, not a minute wasted, not even a single second, just like it was years ago."

"She had grown accustomed to her isolation, carrying her binoculars everywhere, spying from afar, searching for what she was missing. ... Discovery and exploration were her salvation; if she couldn't go out into the world, she could bring the world to her; the stars, the insects, the unsuspecting distance. Everything but her parents."

One evening, after another unsuccessful attempt to reconnect with her parents, Juniper spies a boy in her garden. He seems interested in the trees in her garden. He is small and very skinny and he is doing something very strange. Giles is running his hands up and down the bark of various trees.

"Up close, she noticed he had a sweet smell about him and that his eyes captured a pattern she had never seen before, the brown and gold of his iris constantly swirling. He gave a soft smile and she liked the way one corner of his mouth ran up the other side of his face while the other remained level."

Giles is also alone. His parents are also ignoring him. Juniper and Giles have a common problem and it all seems to be connected to one specific tree. And then one night the parents disappear 

There are lots of hints in the description of the tree:

"It was an ugly tree. If any were to be chopped down, it should have been this monstrosity. Its branches were bare and sharp, reaching out as if to pierce the sky, although the sky did nothing to instigate such an assault. The tree, not incredibly thick, not incredibly thin, was riddled with knots and twists, roots that ripped the ground, killing the grass and welcoming the weeds. Nothing else grew from the base all the way to the top."

This tree is hiding a portal to a terrible underground place. That is where the parents have been going. But why? The children are about to meet a very sinister man.

"He was extremely tall, taller than any man Juniper had ever seen. In fact, almost everything about him had length. Each body part was extended: long legs, long arms, long neck, long fingers. He was enveloped in a ratty hooded cloak, his elongated face concealed in shadow. His bony pale fingers wrapped around a wood staff, and Juniper noticed his nails were long as well, and dark, as if painted midnight blue. As the shroud pulled tight against his body with each movement and gesture ... There seemed to be no fat whatsoever and little muscle - a fragile, lank, and stretched frame."

His name is Skeksyl and he want to make a bargain with the children - a bargain. 

"I have the ability to hand you everything you could ever want but believed to be unattainable."

"All you have to do is sign your name on my balloon and blow it up with the fresh, youthful breath from your lungs."

An astute reader will know this offer is sure to have a dreadful cost. And again, we need to ask why this creature is making this offer and how this is connected with the changes to their parents.

I am not a huge fan of Halloween - it actually seems like a strange event here in Australia where because it is Spring leading into Summer not Autumn leading in to Winter. The crazy huge pumpkins that appear in shops look totally out of place. Having said that, though, I know lots of readers ask for an enjoy 'horror' stories. Juniper Berry has just the right level of fright along with a glorious celebration of team work. The subtitle for this book is engraved on the tree - "A tale of terror and temptation'.

Publisher blurb: Juniper Berry's parents are the most beloved actor and actress in the world—but Juniper can't help but feel they haven't been quite right lately. And she and her friend Giles are determined to find out why. On a cold and rainy night, Juniper follows her parents as they sneak out of the house and enter the woods. What she discovers is an underworld filled with contradictions: one that is terrifying and enticing, lorded over by a creature both sinister and seductive, who can sell you all the world's secrets bound in a balloon. For the first time, Juniper and Giles have a choice to make. And it will be up to them to confront their own fears in order to save the ones who couldn't.

There are some terrific descriptions in this book. This is the library:

"Matching the themes of the room were a plush leather sofa and armchair as well as an unbelievably comfortable rocking chair and cushioned ottoman in one corner, a classically ornate fireplace, expensive modern and abstract artwork, and, in the center of the room, an oversized desk craftily designed with various drawers and compartments. ... But for Juniper, the very best thing about the study was the smell."

In conclusion, this book was really, really good and definitely one that will haunt me for awhile. And not just because of the balloons. If you enjoyed Coraline by Neil Gaiman even a little bit, you ought to read this book. CSI Librarian

The trope of taking the soul of individuals by an evil being intent on either the 'fountain of youth' or an immortality is one we have seen before in books like The Book without Words by Avi; Momo by Michael Ende; and Stitch by Padraig Kenny.

You could also take a look at this award winning picture book after reading Juniper Berry:

Paradise Sands

Paradise Sands by Levi Pinfold

"White roses we follow, towards Teller's Hollow

Dead earth to a spring, the house of a King

A sip from the chalice, we enter his palace

Break bread for the Keeper now we descend deeper

Washed clean in his pool we fall under his rule

Away from what is, we all now are his"

These children/adolescents have clearly heard the opening six-line rhyme recited by their mother many times but instead of listening to the words and recognising they are warning or a prophecy, the words have become a little like a jingle that they sing along to in their car. Only the young girl knows there are warnings in these words. 

This is a story of enchantment, entrapment, courage, wisdom, patience, belief, temptation and above all love. The young girl will rescue her brothers no matter what the personal cost rather like the girl in the Wild Swans fairy tale. Water is an important underlying theme here too. The landscape is a desert but there is water in this mysterious place. The boys are eager to jump in cool water of the pool. Then we don’t see the boys again once the Teller issues his challenge. For three days the girl does not drink. Her body language shows her determination to succeed against The Teller. But I felt such shock when her act of compassion towards the flowers, when she gives them a drink, has unexpected and dire consequences. 

The sepia hyper realistic art with touches of blue and pink are reminiscent of art by Chris van Allsburg, Shaun Tan and Steven Woolman (The Watertower). 

This story has biblical overtones, it feels like a parable, and it has references to fairy tales such as Beauty and the Beast. Notice the repeated pattern of three – three days, three broken columns, three banquet scene, three brothers and three dolphins. The setting and time period are open-ended although we do recognise this is an older model car and the cinder blocks on the house also hint at a time from the recent past.

Right from the beginning the young girl, in her pale blue dress, shows she has a higher level of responsibility. Think about how she stops to lock the door to their house. 

Take a close look at the cover: golden fruit (Adam and Eve perhaps); the shadow of the girl is cut in half; the young girl wears blue dress does this signify innocence? I thought of the phrase - "the little child shall lead them”. There is a chalice in the corner of the cover. I associate this with the ceremony in a church where wine is shared during communion to represent the blood of Christ. The girl looks sad, and her gaze is directed toward the towering lion. He also looks sad or even perhaps resigned. 

Looking at the dust jacket the image stretches out and the face of the lion looks strangely like the face of a man in profile. The three pages where we see the banquet table are very interesting. On the first we have domestic animals eating human food. The next day, enormous exotic animals arrive. On the third day, though, the food is all gone, and the crows have arrived – do they symbolise death? Is the lion an echo of Aslan? Is this about free will? The dry remote forbidding landscape in this book is also a character. There are so many interesting shadows and sharp angles in the illustrations. 

Readers will have so many questions and they will be eager to revisit the story and illustrations. Have the children visited their mother before; where and what is this hospital; and did the meeting with The Teller and his dreadful bargain also happen to their mother in the past? So, the ending is bittersweet as the girl both succeeds and fails. 

If you are sharing this book with a group of High School students you could consider exploring these possible references - a painting of the Last Supper; fairy tales such as Beauty & the Beast, Hansel and Gretel and The Wild Swans. You might thing about Orpheus in the Underworld and classic literature such as Aslan from the Narnia books. Thinking about pop culture you could relate this story to music or television such as 'Don't pay the Ferryman', 'Hotel California', 'Breaking Bad' (the desert setting), 'Game of Thrones' (Ziggurat type building). 

Every part of this book design has been created with care. There is a different image under the dust jacket. The end papers are the same blue as the girl's dress. 

Paradise Sands is a CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) Honour Book. Here is the report from the judges (I was one for this round):

Right from the beginning, the young girl, in her pale blue dress, shows she has a higher level of responsibility. The characters have clearly heard the opening six-line rhyme many times, but instead of recognising they are a warning, the words have become a jingle they sing along to in their car. This is a story of enchantment, entrapment, courage, wisdom, patience, belief, temptation and, above all, love. The young girl will rescue her brothers no matter what the personal cost. An almost unbearable sense of bleakness is created through the dry barren landscapes and even the starkness of the house and hospital room. The landscape in this book becomes a character. Older readers will be eager to revisit the story and the exquisite, masterful illustrations. This book has the look and feel of a classic.

In her post on her blog Paperbark Words Joy Lawn gives some excellent suggestions for ways to explore this book with your older students. I would say this book is for mature readers aged 11 and that it should be added to every High School library. Read this interview where Levi Pinfold talks with Kirkus. See some of the art from this book and here are some review comments:

This one has all the hallmarks of a book that someone will buy for a child, the child will read and reread for years, and it’ll embed itself in the deepest folds and crevices of that child’s brain. ... If you need something beautiful and odd to give to a child, you could hardly do better than this. Betsy Bird Fuse 8

This is a truly eerie tale with much left for the reader to ponder upon. Pinfold’s illustrations are mesmerising, unsettling and haunting, drawing us to them again and again in search of further meanings. Red Reading Hub

The meticulous nature of Pinfold's art lures the reader's eye to the tiniest illustrative details, such as the texture of the Teller's mane, dirt-caked fissures in the marble columns and the girl's heartbreaking and resigned facial expressions. Cool blue endpapers stand in stark contrast to the leathery dryness of the sepia palette dominating this stunning and heavily symbolic story. Shelf Awareness

This mesmerizing work offers potential jumping-off points to discuss many topics, including magical realism, symbolism, family relationships and roles, and mental health. Kirkus star review

The washout-desert palette in the hauntingly beautiful realistic mixed-media illustrations creates an eerie sense of foreboding (carried through to the ambiguous ending) that cues readers into the otherworldliness of the story. Horn Book star review

This book has been added to the NCACL database of Picture Books for Older Readers. I highly recommend you explore this resource.

Companion books:

Oh no, George! by Chris Haughton

Harris is going out.
"Will you be good, George?" asks Harris.
"Yes," says George.
"I'll be very good."

Your young reading companion is sure to be laughing.  It is so obvious that George will not be good! Harris leaves. George sees a cake!

What will George do?

George sees Cat! George sees some fresh soil in the flower bed. Three disasters - then Harris returns home.

"I'm sorry,"  George says. 

Harris cleans up and forgives George and the pair set off for a walk. Along the way there are so many temptations - cake, soil, and Cat. George shows amazing self restraint but then they walk past a delicious rubbish bin. George?!!

Oh no, George is available in 17 languages and it was nominated for numerous awards in 2012. Chris Haughton has some terrific activities on his web site along with a recipe for the cake! It's a Strawberry and Raspberry Cake originally made by Zoe at Playing by the Book. Here is an interview with Chris.

I have made an odd discovery.  In US editions of Oh no, George the boy's name has been changed to Harry - I wonder why?

One activity you could do with older children is to study the way Chris Haughton uses colour in his books and also the amazing power of these eyes.  Here are four sets of eyes for George:

Have you met Chris Haughton (via his books) previously? His work is the perfect combination of story, art and humour all packaged for a young child and at the same time thoroughly enjoyable for the adult reader too. Here are some of his classic books which are perfect for the preschool and Kindergarten audience. I would think all of these books would be essential purchases for ALL preschools and child care centres.

Here is the book trailer from Candlewick Press (Walker Books).

In UK there were plans for a live theatre production of Oh no, George by Can't sit Still Theatre Company but sadly the show was cancelled.

You can also read/see the whole book here.This series of books by Chris Haughton would be a perfect present for a young child aged 2-4 and all the titles are available as Board Books.

Here are some review comments for Oh no, George:

George’s crimes are ones of passion, and it’s hysterical. It resonates with anyone with blood pulsing through their veins—and especially with children, who are constantly being told what not to do. Kirkus Star review Julie Danielson

And that, I believe, is Chris Haughton’s gift. He knows how to create entertaining picture books that make light of human nature. Oh No,George! is about a dog who would really love to please his owner, Harris. If only he weren’t faced with so many temptations. My Little Book Case