New
Zealand
35
Beames, Margaret (text)
Hitchcock, Sue (illus.)
Oliver in the garden
Auckland : Scholastic, 2000. – [32pp]
ISBN 1-86943-452-8
Cat - Night - Light - Darkness
If you think that the new media will bring about the »death of the book«, have a look at
this picture book and judge for yourself. One follows Oliver the cat through the nightly
garden as he chases mice, climbs trees, and has a surprising encounter with a possum. The
greatest fascination emanates from an intricate play with light, shadows and darkness: the
pale moon light, the strong yellow light from the window or the warm, red glow of the
fireplace to which Oliver returns in the end. Even the clearly written text seems to glow
with its white letters standing out against the pitch black, glossy paper. The simple
narrative and the computer generated illustrations explore a new aesthetics somewhere
between the computer screen and the pages of a book. (4+)
36
Taylor, William
Scarface and the angel
Dunedin : Longacre Press, 2000. – 93pp
ISBN 1-877135-44-5
Identity - Encounter - Friendship - Self-acceptance
There are two sides to Damon. You can see it in his face: a big scar runs down one side.
Only when he meets Esther, an old gypsie woman, does he realise how deep it cuts. Esther
possesses the gift of listening and Damon, without knowing why, starts telling her his
life. The reader has to piece together the fragmental narrative, continually reassessing
it, just like Damon learns to take a new look at his self, the wounds of his past healing
in the act of narration. – Good Face, Bad Face – this is a well paced, edgy
novel with strong language, resonating with biblical and Shakespearean allusions. Good
Face, Bad Face – in the end, Damon learns to turn the other cheek and the scar has
disappeared. (14+)
37
Wolfe, Richard (text)
Wolfe, Pamela (illus.)
Mouse Hotel
Glenfield, Auckland : Random House New Zealand, 2000. – [32pp]
ISBN 1-86941-449-7
Dressing up - Hotel - Mystery - Imagination
Following the award-winning success of »Mouse Opera«, the Mouseholes are back to stage
their next adventure: On holidays with their brand new Chevrolet, they arrive at a Grand
Hotel. In their room they discover that their suitcase is missing. How will they dress for
dinner now? Manager O'Rodent and Chief Inspector McWhisker search the hotel – in
vain. But thanks to the Mouseholes' creative use of imagination, the evening is saved. The
bright and humorous illustrations express a love for drama and dressing-up and share in
the storytelling: a wordless doublespread illustration holds the clue to the mystery. Told
in narrative verse, this story is full of little jokes and puns that will amuse the
reader. (6+)