BOOKS .................................... 22

Fantastic

picture book biographies

By Caitlin Giffin

At the Sunnyside library, we love picture books! Meant to be shared, our collection boasts big, beautiful illustrations and accessible text that appeal to a wide range of ages. Biographical picture books are a trend in children’s literature that continues to pick up speed, and it’s no surprise why. They are a wonderful way to spark a child’s interest in true stories and real people and to introduce complex social and historical issues, all while sharing a great story. Here are a few I’ve read recently and really enjoyed. Happy reading!

Clever Hans: The True Story of the Counting,

Adding and Time-Telling Horse, by Kerri Kokias, illustrated by Mike Lowery

Animal lovers will swoon over Clever Hans, the story of an amazing horse who appeared to accomplish extraordinary mathematical feats in front of German audiences in the early 20th century. But could Hans really count and tell time, or was it all just an elaborate hoax? You’ll have to read the book to find out. Written in a fun comic strip format, this story will be sure to appeal to young graphic-novel fans and can be used as an effective first introduction to behavioural sciences.

Jump at the Sun: The True Life Tale of Unstoppable

Storycatcher Zora Neale Hurston, by Alicia D. Williams, illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara

I was so excited to get my hands on a picture book about Zora Neale Hurston, one of the larger-than-life characters of the Harlem Renaissance and among America’s greatest storytellers. Author Alicia D. Williams tells Hurston’s story with beautifully flowing prose, highlighting her passion and determination to live an adventurous life. Throughout the book, the reader is introduced to many of the folk tales Hurston collected and compiled during her time as an anthropologist, making it an excellent choice for those interested in the art of storytelling.

The Notebook Keeper:

A Story of Kindness from the Border, by Stephen Briseño, illustrated by Magdalena Mora

At the San Ysidro border checkpoint in Tijuana, Mexico, a refugee in the crowd was chosen to keep a notebook with a list of people waiting for their chance to enter the United States. When the notebook keeper’s time came to cross the border, they would choose another waiting for asylum to take their place. This tradition is the basis of Stephen Briseño’s The Notebook Keeper, a tender story that tackles the reality of refugees at the American border with grace and dignity.

Dragon Bones:

The Fantastic Fossil Discoveries of Mary Anning, by Sarah Glenn Marsh, illustrated by Maris Wicks

Kids are fascinated with dinosaurs, and books about these extinct creatures are always a hit. Dragon Bones introduces the life of Mary Anning, a fossil hunter who discovered the Icthyosaur and Plesiosaur. Considered the mother of paleontology, Anning was often denied recognition of her discoveries because of her gender. Simple text and big cartoonish illustrations will appeal to the smallest paleontologists out there, and a wonderful appendix provides detailed information about all of Anning’s fantastic fossil finds. You can find these titles and many more at the Ottawa Public Library.

Caitlin Giffin is a children’s programs and public service assistant at the Sunnyside Branch of the Ottawa Public Library.

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Eraserhead

A compelling first feature

Eraserhead (US, 1977) Directed by David Lynch

Review by Angus Luff

Eraserhead is a 1977 American horror-fantasy film directed by David Lynch. It follows Henry (Jack Nance), a man with an indescribably warped vision of the world, as he accidentally gets in a relationship and has a child with Mary (Charlotte Stewart). When the child is born deformed and disfigured, Mary swiftly hands the responsibility solely to Henry. As Henry’s world falls apart while taking care of the child, the film goes off the rails and gets bizarre.

Lynch creates an entirely different kind of horror in Eraserhead. The film is slow paced but at no point is it boring or stale. The world that Lynch creates has a tangible, real atmosphere, yet it is fantastical and isolating at the same time. There’s nothing quite like the experience of watching Eraserhead. Lynch is known for bizarre and surreal quirks in his films, and those subtle, strange details alienate and confuse the viewer just as much as Henry does. The mysterious aura of Eraserhead works perfectly, as it keeps conversation and interpretation open as to what really is happening under the surface. It rewards rewatches and speculation, as at the end of the day, it’s a subjective film.

In the wrong hands, this film could be a disaster, but Henry is the perfect protagonist and just as alienated, confused and scared of this desolate wasteland as the viewer is. The relatively short runtime also helps justify the content of the film and keeps it on track. The film is never incomprehensible or nonsensical, it’s just not very clear-cut or normal. I want to make it clear that this movie is not nonsensical arthouse drivel; there’s method to the madness here.

On every conceivable level, Eraserhead is an unmatched tour de force in the field of indie filmmaking. An unusual premise, a slow descent into insanity, an oppressive and horrifyingly bleak world that comes alive through the film’s innovative visuals and sound design, all thanks to the creativity and limited resources of a young David Lynch. He would raise money for the film, shoot for a few weeks, run out of money, raise money again, going through that routine for five years until its completion.

The visual and auditory spectacle that is Eraserhead should be applauded for both its ingenious, palpable product and its cast and crew who stood by the project for years before their hard work and commitment finally paid off. When you read about what a nightmare the film was to put together, its endlessly maddening world makes more sense.

The film’s horrifying world isn’t so much a dive into some bleak apocalyptic future as it is a personification of the darkest patches of the psyche. It’s where your mind wanders when everything loses colour, when the world stops being inviting and begins to alienate, when there’s no one left in the world to help or understand you or your responsibilities, when hope and joy has rotted away and there’s nothing left but pain, fear and alienation. That is the world of Eraserhead – it’s a reflection of ourselves and our struggle to relate to or understand the pain and suffering that everyone experiences. While I’m not going to go into detail about what the film means, as it would spoil important details, I believe the spirit of the film reflects the bleak reality of someone who has lost all hope in the world. Lynch’s first low-budget feature is astonishing and unpretentious, meticulous and timeless. Eraserhead is so compelling that it makes you wish all first features were this great.

Angus Luff is a student at Glebe Collegiate. He grew up in the Glebe and is obsessed with movies.

Running time: 1 hour, 29 minutes Available on the Criterion Channel.

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