Sunday, March 28, 2010

The Heart and the Bottle


By Oliver Jeffers. New York: Philomel Books, 2010.

This is a unique and beautiful picture book about how a young child deals with her grief after her father dies. In the beginning of the story, a little girl "whose head was filled with all the curiosities of the world" loved exploring new things and sharing adventures and discoveries with her father. She did this every day "until the day she found an empty chair." In her grief and despair, the girl decides to protect her heart by putting it in a bottle and hanging it around her neck. As she gets older, she no longer takes delight in the little things in life, because she is so consumed with her emotions. That all changes one day when she comes across a little girl, who is very much like how she used to be as a child, who shows her the way to free her heart.

The illustrations are beautifully painted, full of rich colors that reflect the changing mood of the story. Admittedly, adults will probably appreciate this book more than children, as they can understand the emotions behind protecting one's heart from further pain. But, I think this is still appropriate for children, especially those who experienced a loss, because it provides a beautiful way to realize that "bottling up" your feelings isn't the best way to explore and gain understanding of them. Absolutely stunning.

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