SOKOLIC, Katie (text) Glenn Sokolic (illus.) The Magic Quilt Red Forest Creations, 2013 unpaged $19.25 ISBN 9780987572103
When Toby’s mum makes him a new quilt, he is shocked to learn that it has the power to take him away to magical places. From the highest clouds to the bottom of the ocean, it isn’t long before Toby is disappearing to have grand adventures any time he feels scared. Now if only he could remember how to get back home!
While the concept behind this book is certainly solid if unoriginal, the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Children may like the idea of a magic quilt to take them away from their fear, but it is difficult to enjoy this story when it is buried under forced rhymes, poor layout and weak illustrations. The rhythm of the text is completely off and sacrifices clarity for the sake of the rhyme. The visual elements do nothing to improve on the story, either. The use of odd fonts, the slightly unfinished look to many of the pages and the lack of genuine expression from most of the characters makes this difficult to connect with. While this may work as a tool to help some children with their fears, it certainly doesn’t reach its potential.
reviewed by Meg Whelan