Manu and the Talking Fish

Manu is a wonderful book, alive with color and creativity. The simplicity of the story allows even a young child to go wherever he or she wants in every dreamy page, and the combination of fantasy and spirituality (applied with a very light hand) makes readers of any age feel good. The quality of the illustrations alone makes the book worth reading. Arenson's collages are saturated with color and alive with an almost reckless freedom of form.My three year old was captivated the first time we read Manu, and it remains one of her favorite books.

My daughter loved this book! We have read it together many times. The ancient fable comes to life with pictures filled with brilliant colors and images. The story leaves room for children's imagination, including the ending, where the author asks the reader about Manu. My daughter always has an answer! We have read other books illustrated by Roberta Arenson and think her artwork is terrific. Both my wife and daughter have begun using collage art media to create pictures. They show it to me and say "Look, it looks like pictures in Manu."