Shortcut

As a fan of David Macaulay for many years - and of his earlier more "technical" books "How things work" - I had give this one a try. I also got "Why the Chicken Crossed the Road". They liked both. But of the two, the kids liked this one better - me too.

Honk! Honk! This is another great book by award winning author David Macaulay. Ever thought what would have happened if...? This is one of those stories - only better - because David goes into overdrive telling his hilarious story about how one action by one person changes the days and lives of many others. As is David's trademark, they story is of course very funny. It starts oh so innocently! Albert and his horse June are going to the market. On the way Albert cuts a line that is obstructing his way on the road. Well, that's when suddenly all mayhem let's loose and the day will take an unexpected and turbulent turn for various people and pets from then on. David takes us places where usually only kids can take you with their fantastic imagination - and it is a fantastic joyride all the way to the end. Surprise and laughter brought to life by brilliant illustrations of funny characters and animals. If you like this one, be sure to check out his other great kid stories like "Angelo" and "Black and White".

Following up his success with the eclectic and Caldecott award winning, "Black and White", from 1990, author David Macaulay decided to write another multiple narrative infused picture book. If you've read "Black and White", you may remember how this kind of story works. Characters from different tales affect one another's lives and the reader has the joy of seeing how an action on the part of one person creates chaos or delight on the parts of others. The result is a meticulously crafted series of delicate vignettes, perfectly suited for the child reader. This is basically the equivalent of picture book jazz. And it works. There are eight major players in this tale (two of whom are non-human) and Macaulay has presented a helpful chart of each and every one at the beginning of the book. When it begins, an older gentleman named Albert is going with his horse June to the town for market day. On the way there, and unbeknownst to him, he inadvertently affects every other character's life. Because of Albert, Professor Tweet loses control of his hot air balloon and unwittingly saves Clarinda's escaped cockatoo. Because of June, Patty must search for her pet pig Pearl. Then there are the stories of the Sybil (a dead ringer for the little old lady from Pasadena) and Bob, the unwitting deep sea diver. Even as I looked through the pictures a third and fourth time, I still was able to locate clever little thoughts and details that I hadn't noticed before. The narrative in this story jumps between each character rapidly, sometimes double backing to clarify a situation or storyline. Probably this book will do best with those kids that are endowed with a little bit of patience. I can see this story striking some as being incredibly frustrating. After all, if you don't realize that each story is affected by every other story, a first read through is going to strike the child reader as disjointed and awkward. If they manage to grab ahold of the tale and get into it, however, they'll be enjoying a whole new kind of picture book. This is the kind of book that will prepare its younger readers for future books with eclectic narratives. For the kid that's still reading picture books but has a mind that likes clever details and stories, this might just be the perfect choice.

I have been reading this book aloud to small groups of children for about three years. And every time I pull it out, I discover yet another clue, hiding in plain sight in the illustrations. The story starts deceptively simple: Arnold and his horse June take their melons to market. But soon, more characters enter, and my young audience (and older listeners) is challenged to keep them all straight. Because the actions of one, always have consequences for someone else. (Is this life, or what?) But you have to look closely at the pictures, because most of the real story is there. (And seeing June, with her horse shoes off, her feet up, and her mane in curlers, is priceless) ENJOY.

The book Shortcut provides an exciting, humourous read for both children and adults. Seemingly unrelated events contained within nine short chapters are shown to affect each others outcomes. Even after 3 readings of Shortcut with my 5 year old son, we continue to joyfully discover the connections between events. Shortcut is a fun book for an inquisitive child and the reader.