Pockets

This is a story that gets our creativity flowing. I can read it, and all my children gather 'round to listen. We like the mysterious seamstress and the glorious illustrations. Living an artistic life really can transform.

Picture books come in several different types. Some are functional and educational reads for teaching children. Some are comical romps, spurring laughter from their audience, and some are simply, delightfully, and stunningly beautiful works of art. This picture book written by Jennifer Armstrong and illustrated by Mary Grandpre, falls into this last category. The title might seem a bit plain, even vague at first but it nevertheless hints at a sense of the wonderful and magical, especially given the luscious colors and images that populate these pages. I admit that it was Mary Grandpre's cover art that first persuaded me to crack open this book, not certain what to expect, but delighted by the whimsical cover. I was well rewarded for my curiosity. Like the artwork, Jennifer Armstrong's richly evocative writing weaves a tapestry to enchant readers from the first sentence. It's a once upon a time tale, with an exotic stranger coming to stay in a plain and pragmatic farming village. But rather than start with the traditional opening, Ms. Armstrong begins with: "A slim schooner of a woman, driven by strong winds and a broken heart, floundered barefoot across the eastern plains . . ." The author maintains her ocean/boat metaphors throughout the story, and it may at first take the reader by surprise, as the story itself takes place in a village far from the sea. But it soon becomes apparent that this is the author's intent, to show how her protagonist differs from those around her, how she yearns for the wildness and creativity she found there. Our protagonist is a seamstress, capable of creating marvelous garments with rich adornment. But the farmers want only plain, drab work clothes for their plain lives, and the young woman must live and dress as they do if she is to live among them. While she agrees to their terms, she chafes at this limitation and lack of imagination. Until she realizes she can create the gorgeous works she wishes . . . as long as they are on the insides of her pockets. You'll have to read the book to grasp the full effect, but as she provides these pockets full of her creativity to the villagers, it gradually transforms the drab and practical town into a joyous and colorful one. The heroine is the catalyst that changes those she encounters before moving on. I will freely admit that even the adult reader may find the vocabulary of Armstrong's fanciful lists to be a challenge. " . . . frocks and pantaloons of bandle linen; also doublets farthingales, damask mantuas . . ." Fortunately, the lists don't really get in the way of comprehending the story, they merely add to the delicious nature of the tale with these marvelously exotic words. It is not a simple story for a child to read, however, and young readers who struggle with words will probably find this much too daunting! Even a parent may find it a bit difficult to read aloud parts of this without reviewing it a time or two first. That said, it is a deligh

Both the artwork and the script are stunning. I have read this book over and over again. It takes the reader far away from the mundane details of daily life to the place of the heart - with all its beauty and wonder. I would recommend this book to adults who appreciate high quality picture books.

This story is wonderful! Our world needs more stories illuminating the beauty that we so rarely see in our often-hectic lives. Illustrations of this caliber are hard to find. Mary Grandpre truly captured the meaning of the story - she is a one-of-a-kind illustrator. Jennifer Armstrong spins her words as if in a tapestry. Simply beautiful.

Pockets is incredible. The illustrations and prose merge to form a work of great beauty. I highly recommend this book. It takes you to places you might never see, shows you the power of imagination, and teaches you how far an act of kindness might take you.If you liked this book read All The Mama's and The Malachite Palace.