Picture Books with Yann Martel

For Christmas week, Martel suggested three picture books to our Prime Minister Stephen Harper for his reading list. He suggests that these books may be shared among families.

I've read the picture books; Imagine A Day written by Sarah L. Thomson and illustrated by Rob Gonsalves, and The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, by Chris Van Allsburg. They share a common denominator of mystery and imagination -the image here is from the gorgeous Imagine a Day, a book well worth looking through. If you are amazed by the detailed and whimsical illustrations you can also look for his corresponding picture book, Imagine a Night. And the Harris Burdick faintly reminds me of those "Uncolouring Books" which were popular in my 70's childhood, the ones with a few lines sketched out and a written prompt suggesting a picture that you would then create yourself. In this case, you are encouraged to write your own story to explain the images. As usual, Van Allsburg's pictures are extraordinary and a wonderful spur to the imagination.

Astrid Lindgren's The Brothers Lionheart is the third suggestion, a slightly longer book for older readers, and I recall looking at it some years ago, though all I remember is a story about two dying brothers, war/freedom fighters, and suicide. Hmm. Perhaps I'd better take another look and figure out why this is a suggested read.