The Mighty Asparagus

Prior to this book, Radunsky was probably best known for his illustrated children's books (picture and otherwise) and his insipid, "What Does Peace Feel Like?" of 2003. Nothing, in short, that set him apart from the pack of children's illustrators everywhere. Then he got an idea. He decided to create a picture book much in the style of such ribald and witty artists as Jon Scieszka and former partner Chris Raschka. A picture book that strains at the edges of convention. In short, a crazy amalgamation of classic Italian portraiture, the old Giant Turnip turned asparagus tale, and some mixed media for spice. The result is a book that may not always work in the ways Radunsky may have wanted it to, but at least it takes a gamble on being a little different. Other picture books should be so brave. If you know the story of the giant turnip, then this tale will come to you as little surprise. One day the king is walking around his backyard when he spies a gigantic asparagus, fully grown, standing in the middle of things. Everyone admits that it is amazing, but the king is determined to remove it forthwith. Says he, "It sticks out like a sore thumb". No amount of pulling or tugging so much as budges the vegetable, however. His wife, the queen, finds the asparagus to be a beautiful sight. Her wish is to place it in the center of the palace but both she and the king are unable to move it. Add on the princess, the bravest the knight in the kingdom, and a mighty rhinoceros, but for all these the asparagus remains. Finally the king consults his mother and she sends a single tiny bird, who brings the tasty green tall thing crashing down. The moral, hidden amongst a lot of jabbering by the king's subjects, boils down to, "Even the smallest effort counts". End of tale. It doesn't sound that weird, does it? Sounds pretty darn typical. Then you get a gander at the illustrations. Radunsky usually goes in for crazy original drawings. Here however he seems to have taken a page from Terry Gilliam's book. Characters, places, and things are all culled from classic Renaissance paintings, then given extra eyes, crazy noses, and sometimes entirely original faces. This haphazard conglomeration combines to produce a mighty weird tale. Then there are Radunsky's words in and of themselves. A fan of writing in script and saying things like the fact that he himself was born in 1589 and "became a participant in, the heroice battle of the Mighty Asparagus (March 1, 1602)". It's possibly the first picture I've ever seen made specifically for children that had honest-to-goodness footnotes in it. There are also a lot of fun throwaway lines here mixed within the story. Honestly, I haven't a clue if kids will like this story. Adults certainly will, though the sheer scale of silliness will keep if from being universally beloved. For originality, however, it's hard to beat. A fun if somewhat haphazard tale.

Yes, this is categorized as a children's book, but don't be misled. It's a book for all with a sense of humor who enjoy quirky, whimsical tales superbly illustrated. Radunsky is as imaginative and incorrigible as ever, saying, "In my children's books, I often like to use strange, eclectic combinations: absurd, funny text paired with very serious, weighty images, and vice versa." He has done this again - in spades, and it's terrific fun. His story, in a nutshell, is reminiscent of a Russian folktale, "The Turnip." But, in this case, we have an asparagus spear, a monstrous protuberance that's growing in the king's yard. He tries to pull it up to no avail. The queen helps, the princess helps, the king's advisers try, even a rhino is unable to budge this giant veggie. At last, the king's mother arrives on the scene - you'll have to guess the rest. Suffice it to say one should always listen to one's mom. Radunsky's paintings are stunning - he has drawn on Italian Renaissance art, combining his own paintings with fragments of classical Renaissance paintings. The results are splendidly smile provoking. Art aficionados will recognize the works of Bellini, Fra Angelico, Mantegna, and others. Children may well find a beginning interest in Renaissance art. Gracie, Vladimir Radunsky.