Art is a wordless picture book that speaks volumes with its stark line drawings. Calling it a line drawing is a disservice to the art pieces themselves because, when the lines come together, they transcend the descriptor and culminate into vivid yet dark pieces that are magnificently evocative.

The story follows a circus performer, and his teddy bear. We start off in the performers home and follow them to the circus tent where they will put on a show for royalty. I’m explaining what happened in a single sentence but the author conveys this simple one line event with eight marvelous art pieces. Each one drawn in simple lines but that betrays the complexity and beauty of the pieces. I was mesmerized by each one. With no words throughout the story, I was left lingering on each page for a few minutes, following the lines, understanding the image and picking out the nuances. I was absolutely captivated.

We get to the circus and we see an audience filled with royalty. The line drawings accomplish much complexity in these scenes while keeping the art style consistent. I was blown away but the crowds in these scenes because every person in the crowd is unique and can exist in its own space and seemed to have their own backstory.

Then we move onto the performance. What starts as a normal circus act slowly evolves into a surreal performance that I liken to what one would see at a Cirque Du Soleil show. Each dream-like performance expertly utilizes the artists unique style in dramatic new ways that was stirring. What I appreciated most was the attention to specific details in each piece. Not that every detail was provided, but instead the details that are provided bring the readers focus to where the action and emotion is.

Art is a mesmerizing wordless picture book that will inspire the imagination of both children and adults with its brilliant and expressive imagery.

Pages: 28

Fontreal.com