Lemony Snicket AND Jon Klassen. Together. In one glorious book. Heaven!
Without the tiniest flicker of being patronising Snicket and Klassen deftly tackle a common childhood fear – the dark.
Snicket immediately personifies dark, it is something all around. It hides in that cupboard under the stairs during the daytime, but comes out at night.
Short sentences help the reader walk briskly through each page, Snicket’s minimalist feel emphasises the poet tone of his carefully chosen words. Then it feels like Snicket stops.
Turns.
Speaks directly to his readers;
”You might be afraid of the dark, but the dark is not afraid of you. That’s why the dark is always close by.”
Using great logic, Snicket explains to his readers why they NEED the dark … you’ll have to grab of copy to discover this gem for yourself!
The clever little twist brings out a few sly smiles from nodding readers.
Klassen’s illustrations heighten the mature tone of this book, highlighting the respect these authors have for their younger readers. His images reflect the minimalist tone established by Snicket’s language. Orange tones from the sun, the light, add warmth at just the right level.
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