The illustrations outrun the storyline of HOOK, showcasing Young's visual expressiveness with paint and maybe conte crayon on a warm brown paper. His leverage of the full space of each spread (including use of the the edge of the page and letting the negative space also speak), and his selection of intense blue and red, and supplemented with black and browns creates a striking telling. The transition from egg to eagle along a human trajectory also makes for effectively allowing the reader to feel themselves looking closely, looking up, and sensing the emotion of the story. Caldecott Medalist Ed Young, author of Lon Po Po (Philomel, 1989) brings us the story of an abandoned egg found by a young boy. The boy presents the egg to a hen who assumes guardianship. The resulting dark, hook-beaked hatchling looks nothing like the other chicks. The hen names the chick Hook, and after observing the powerful claws and mannerisms of the chick, informs the fledgling it is “not meant for earth.” Following this, the hen and the young boy help the chick achieve its biological destiny in the sky. The sparse pastel illustrations on brown paper create a simple aesthetic for the similarly straightforward story. The mute-toned drawings do not stand out from the background, which may inhibit child appeal. This would otherwise be a worthy candidate for story time.
What do You think about Hook (2009)?
possible Beehive nomineeBeautiful book but not a children's favorite
—Archie
All I will say is Ed Young. Beautiful, elegant, Ed Young. Ages 3+
—tyler_the_rabbit
