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Good Picks by David Lucas

I just recently saw a new book written and illustrated by David Lucas called Nutmeg. Nutmeg is a charming story about a family of three (Nutmeg, her uncle, and her cousin) who live a seemingly stark and monotonous life underscored by three routine repetitive boring and tasteless meals a day... Deciding to change her reality and maybe her routine, Nutmeg goes for a walk and finds a genie in a bottle. With her 3 wishes, Nutmeg wishes for something different to eat. The resulting appearance of a magic spoon really stirs things up.

David Lucas is also the author and illustrator of Halibut Jackson... a children's book we at theFLAP.com totally adore. If you have children and haven't read Halibut Jackson, you are missing out. Even if you don't have kids... this is one you should look at, particularly if you are shy or if you are interested in fabrics or if you sew or if you are an artist but have ever felt like an invisible artist. The book is a wonderful story of Halibut Jackson, an amazing clothing designer, but Halibut Jackson is shy and tends to blend into the background... quite literally. Lucas employs wonderful illustrations that show Halibut Jackson in clothing patterned to match his surroundings. (Kids will find it fun to "find" Halibut blending into the garden, the library, the chair, and so on.) Then, one day, Halibut makes a mistake... he accepts a royal invitation but misinterprets where the party will be held and shows up in something that doesn't blend in at all. But everyone loves it. And soon everyone has to have a Halibut Jackson design of their own. This is a wonderful story that celebrates uniqueness, unique talents, and creativity. Give Nutmeg a try, too. It's a very interesting manifestation of the genie and the three wishes idea.

Posted by amyo at September 5, 2006 06:50 PM