New Book!

This sounds like a GREAT book:
Yuki and the One Thousand Carriers is a book rich with metaphor and charm in both its words and illustrations. It is written by Gloria Whelan and told through the voice of Yuki, a young Japanese girl. It is a story of her journey from her home in Kyoto to Edo, 300 miles away. It elegantly expresses all of the fears and trepidations felt by a child leaving home—as well as ability to embrace change. In its sparseness, the writing presents great detail of the varied landscape and Yuki’s many encounters. Perhaps the best part is that before leaving her homeland, her teacher asks her to record her daily lessons in the form of a haiku. Each page reveals two of Yuki’s haikus that collectively tell the whole story. Yan Nascimbene captures 300 miles of dramatic landscape and seasons in his remarkable and dreamy watercolors. He is masterful at describing the expanse of geography and stillness of time with line and stunning gradient colors. Yuki and her dog Kita are adorable traveling along with the long train of horseback carriers. His attention to costume, scale, and color are reminiscent of ancient Japanese prints. This is a timeless book that operates on so many levels and sure to take children and parents on a memorable journey.