Elspeth Lorraine

This book took me by surprise in the most delightful way. The weird colors caught my eye and I thought I'd give it a go. And woohoo am I glad I did! My wee nephew and I sat down to read it and he made several baby grunts and slapped the pages a lot and skipped to the ending and generally abused the book which means 5 stars from him. But this is my review and you’ll have to wait till the end to see how many stars (or slaps) I give it. 

The local newsboy reports that the local wishing well of Bad Göodsburgis is broken and the townspeople are upset. Aside from his other jobs, the newsboy “... was also the chimney sweep, the shoe shiner, and the milkman” which the townspeople assure him is a “fair arrangement”. Even with all these jobs, he is sent to investigate the broken wishing well. After a long trip, (he might have not asked for directions) he arrives to see a giant spider at the bottom of the well hoarding gold pieces the generous and lovely townspeople have thrown in. The newsboy is naturally shocked and scolds the spider for not letting these selfless and beautiful wishes come true. But then the spider speaks up! "The baker told the newsboy he wished for all the bread to feed others. But actually he wished for a full head of hair! The doctor told the newsboy he wanted to cure every disease in the world, but instead he wished for lots of money!” The newsboy decides it's time to turn the tables on the bad townspeople and for him to get what he actually wants. And maybe a whole pile of gold too. 

Bits and Pieces: The illustrations were done digitally. This book served real Burgermeister Meisterburger vibes and I liked it. I also would have read the local newspaper of Bad Göodsburg. The headlines were iconic. 

Not Sure About: I wasn’t sure about the color palette, but I read an interview with Jess and she said she was inspired by Polish posters from the 60’s and 70’s and is also slightly colorblind. And since the colors and block printing style were what drew me to the book in the first place… I guess I am sure. I like the colors! 

Favorite Part: When the newsboy heard the real wishes and shouted “JUSTICE”. We love a labor leader with an eye for justice. Or when the spider refers to the newsboy as “nosy”. Or the fact this picture book is about blackmail. I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 slaps.

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