Lofty And Lovable

For imaginative minds, they are a medium for wondrous works of art.  They provide shade from sweltering sunshine.  If you are looking for predictors of weather, they are highly accurate.  As a part of one of this planet's cycles, they ensure the continuance of life.

And, they make the most splendid best friends.  Lizzy and the Cloud (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, May 3, 2022) written and illustrated by The Fan Brothers expands our thinking by exploring a fantastical "what-if" scenario.  Lizzy and readers discover nature is a willing teacher if we are ready to learn.

It was Saturday.

Every Saturday, Lizzy went

for a walk with her parents.

People, young and old, gathered at the park on Saturdays.  Rather than ride on the carousel, watch a juggler or a puppet show, or enjoy the fountain or canopy of large trees, Lizzy quickly hurried toward the Cloud Seller.  Floating on the subtle breeze like balloons, clouds on strings in all shapes and sizes were held by the man.  All Lizzy wanted was the most ordinary of clouds. 

In her bedroom at home, Lizzy read over the instructions for cloud care.  There was a list of eight.  The first item was to name your cloud.  Lizzy named her cloud Milo.

Lizzy, consistently and carefully, followed each direction. She watered Milo and took him for walks with her parents.  Milo loved rainy weather.  As the seasons passed, Milo grew and grew and grew.  Lizzy could not seem to stop Milo from growing.  He filled the ceiling in her room.

That night, Milo reacted as could be expected and Lizzy remembered item number eight.  In the morning, Lizzy did not need a list to know what to do.  Her heart was speaking to her.  Milo would always be a part of Lizzy.  Friends are.  Upward.

The imaginations of The Fan Brothers, Eric Fan and Terry Fan, are like those of cloud watchers.  They see beauty and possibilities when they look to the skies.  Their words take us to a time and place just beyond reality.  With two words, Cloud Seller, we know this story is going to be extraordinary.  Simple, profound declarative sentences and phrases wrap around us, bringing us into this story of a girl and her cloud.  They leave room for our minds to grow like Milo and for the artwork to elevate the narrative.  Here is a passage.

The clouds bobbed gently up and down

with every breath of wind.

Some were puffy and round.

Others were wispy and almost-not-there.

There was a parrot, a rabbit, a fish, and

an elephant . . . .

Using a muted color palette, The Fan Brothers take us into Lizzy's world.  The soft green shown on the open dust jacket extends flap edge to flap edge.  We meet Lizzy and her cloud on the front highlighted with bright spots of yellow and the hint of a rainbow.  To the left, on the back, we are inside Lizzy's home.  Our eyes are drawn to a coat tree.  There hangs Lizzy's rain gear.  Her boots are next to the tree.  On the dust jacket, front and back, Lizzy, her rain gear, and the title text are varnished.

On the book case, the background is the same delicate hue.  To the left of the yellow spine is the coat tree.  On it hangs Lizzy's winter coat and yellow scarf.  A bit of snow is on the floor.  There are Lizzy's charcoal-colored boots.  On the front of the book Lizzy stands with her cloud.  The cloud is snowing on Lizzy.  Her scarf is wrapped around her lower face.  She is wearing a fur-trimmed hat, her plaid coat and fur-trimmed boots.  She stands in a pile of snow.  It is not snowing anywhere else.

On the opening and closing endpapers is the patterned wallpaper used in Lizzy's home.  Together there are twenty-three different framed portraits and photographs on the walls.  As you look at each one, you wonder at their significance.

These illustrations  

rendered in pencil and colored digitally

envelope you everywhere you look.  We immediately feel a tenderness for Lizzy.  We love seeing her small teddy bear resting on a pillow on her bed.  We wonder about a little girl who loves orchids, plants, and ferns.  We sense a security in her life with the walks she takes with her parents to the park, through their town, and on trips to the beach.

The Fan Brothers alternate their image sizes.  There are full-page pictures, double-page images, several smaller images on a single page with no words, and double-page visuals with no words.  Perspectives shift.  Sometimes we are given a panoramic view as when Lizzy and her parents enter the park or walk down Main Street in the evening.  Other times we are very close.  When Lizzy is reading

Caring for Your Cloud

all we see are her hands and the yellow piece of paper.  The choices by the brothers to use color or not are intentional and brilliant.  Knowing them, I savored every image looking for extra details.  (Hello, William.)  Oh, and their details are exquisite, simply stunning.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a two-page picture.  It is nighttime.  Outside one of Lizzy's bedroom windows we can see it is a full moon night.  Inside her room the cloud is darkening and there is a small bolt of lightning.  On the left side, Lizzy stands wearing her yellow rain gear.  She is looking up and holding a bucket as it begins to rain in her room.  Among her plants on the right side are pots, pans, and dishware ready to hold the rain.  There are also cups, bowls, and a glass on her bed.  Her teddy bear is sitting upright.  The use of light and shading in this image is excellent.

Whether this title is read by individuals or as a read aloud with a group, you will hear requests for "read it again."  There will be discussions about pets, friendship, care, and knowing when the right thing needs to be done.  I believe there will be an increased interest in clouds, too.  Lizzy and the Cloud written and illustrated by The Fan Brothers, Eric Fan and Terry Fan, is one to have in every personal and professional collection.

To learn more about The Fan Brothers and their other work, please follow the link attached to their name to access their website.  The Fan Brothers have an account on Facebook.  Eric Fan has an account on Facebook as does Terry Fan.  Eric Fan and Terry Fan have accounts on Instagram.  The Fan Brothers have an account on Instagram.  Eric Fan has an account on Twitter.  At the publisher's website, you can view interior images.  There are more illustrations to see at The Fan Brother's website.

Bending A Purpose

They stand alone day in and day out for months and even years.  They never utter a single word.  Creatures of the field and forest give them a wide berth.  They are made to spread fear, especially in birds.  Birds that would eat a farmer's freshly seeded fields or crops waiting to be harvested are not welcome.

Perhaps this is why these creations are given the name scarecrow.  This is a lonely, dismal task even for a being with seemingly no feelings.  The Scarecrow (Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, September 3, 2019) written by Beth Ferry with illustrations by The Fan Brothers (Eric Fan and Terry Fan) focuses on one scarecrow.  This scarecrow decides to alter its purpose.

Autumn sunshine.
Haystacks rolled.
Scarecrow guards the fields of gold.

As expected, the fox, deer, mice and crows stay a safe distance from this man of straw standing near a tree in the field.   The fall season passes, and winter settles her cloak of snow on the surrounding fields.  The scarecrow does not have a single soul to keep him company.  He longs for spring.

Upon its arrival spring brings a surprise to the scarecrow.  A small crow drops at his feet.  Then Scarecrow, like spring, does something surprising.  He breaks his pole, bends down and scoops up the fallen baby.  He fashions a cozy nest from his hay and clothing.  He croons sweet songs to the feathered child.  Wounds heal and two hearts become one in friendship.

When the tiny bird learns to fly, Scarecrow understands the bird will leave and he cannot follow, but he nevertheless encourages the fledgling.  Summer and autumn come and go.  Winter brings cold and snow.  Scarecrow is alone, now leaning forward on his broken pole.  Sadness settles like a weight in the straw man's heart.

Moving through an early spring rain something, a bigger something, drops near the scarecrow.  Unbidden Scarecrow opens his weary arms.  Wounds are healed and two hearts rekindle a lasting friendship which as seasons and time dictate multiplies one heart at a time.


Like a melody you want to hum all day long, the words penned by Beth Ferry in this narrative implore you to read them over and over, savoring every beautifully written thought and emotion.  Her rhyming flows flawlessly.  The placement of her words from page to page supplies us with pacing that is perfection.  She alternates between short two-word punctuated phrases and longer sentences.  Repetition of key words ties portions together neater than a bow.  Here is a passage.

He tucks him near his heart of hay.
He lets him sleep.
He lets him stay.
He doesn't stop to wonder why.
He sings the sweetest lullaby.


When you run your fingers over the open dust jacket, the texture feels like the cloth on the scarecrow's shirt or denim overalls.  The scene drawn by artists Eric Fan and Terry Fan, The Fan Brothers, evokes the feel of fabric, hay, burlap and the sounds of rustling grasses in an open field.  We are left wondering why the scarecrow is smiling at the tiny black crow.

This initial picture on the front of the dust jacket continues over the spine and to the back, on the left.  Scarecrow's hand points to another field and a line of trees.  In the near distance is a barn and windmill.  Clouds softly billow in this sky, too.  The crow in different sizes is shown on the front and back flaps.  The details here, on the dust jacket, and throughout the book are marvelous.

The same surface feel on the dust jacket is used on the book case.  This is a portion of the overalls, all denim on the front and back with two exceptions.  On the left is a green plaid patch.  On the right is a rusty red-orange plaid patch.  These match the patches on Scarecrow's legs.

On the opening and closing endpapers is a canvas of olive green.  On the initial title page, a full-grown crow is perched on a post with barbed wire stretched on either side.  On the formal title page, a luminous landscape greets readers.  Sun-kissed clouds, some pinkish-purple and other golden brown, span above a field across a double-page picture.  The sun low to the horizon radiates from the gutter on either side.  On the right, Scarecrow stands tall near the single tree.

Rendered in

pencil, ballpoint, and Photoshop

these illustrations, double-page pictures and full-page pictures (five), are in a word, breathtaking.  With authenticity they portray the seasons and emotional moments experienced by the scarecrow and the crow.  They give us vast pastoral panoramas, move in closer as in the fireflies fluttering around the field on a full moon night as the crow sits on Scarecrow's arm or zoom in on Scarecrow's face after the crow leaves.

One of my many, many favorite pictures is for the words quoted earlier.  The canvas is white on matte-finished, heavier paper, edge to edge on two pages.  Seeds spin and parachute from the left and right of Scarecrow on the left side, cross the gutter and sail along the right above the text.  Scarecrow has his head bowed, a contented smile on his face and his arms are crossed in front of his heart.  Nestled in hay and tucked in the bib of his overalls is the tiny black crow.


This book, The Scarecrow written by Beth Ferry with illustrations by The Fan Brothers, is one to read when discussing friendship and the lengths a friend will go for another, talking about seasons, or addressing how sometimes it's necessary to break away from what is expected to follow what is right and in our hearts.  I know this will be a book cherished by readers and listeners alike; a true storytime favorite.  I highly recommend this for your personal and professional collections.  You might want to pair this with Otis and the Scarecrow written and illustrated by Loren Long.

To discover more about Beth Ferry and The Fan Brothers, please access their respective websites by following the links attached to their names.  The Fan Brothers have interior images from this book at their website.  Beth Ferry has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Eric Fan has an account on Twitter.  Terry Fan has an account on Instagram. At the publisher's website are printable activities.  Beth Ferry writes a guest post at Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher's blog, Watch. Connect. Read., to reveal the cover.  Enjoy the book trailer.

Finding Riches At Sea

You often hear people talking about when my ship comes in.  Good fortune will shine upon their destiny.  Monetary riches will suddenly appear.  This ship, figuratively speaking, when it arrives will change their lives for the better.

Some people spend every day wishing for this vessel to sail into the harbor of their hopes.  Other people work toward the very things this ship would offer.  Let's suppose there is a third group of individuals.  The Antlered Ship (Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, September 12, 2017) written by Dashka Slater with illustrations by The Fan Brothers (Eric Fan and Terry Fan) presents readers with a crew of animals setting sail together for the first time; each searching for something they desire.  They aren't waiting for their ship to come in.  They're on it.

The day the antlered ship arrived,
Marco wondered about the wide world.

Marco was a fox, a fox with lots of questions.  His questions were full of curiosity about the deeper meanings and possibilities within the world as a whole.  When a fox had these types of questions, he had to look for answers.  He went to the ship.  As he crossed the dock, three deer left the deck, joining him.

Sylvia, the captain, was looking for a crew as she and her fellow deer were lost.  Marco agreed to go.  He had a need to know.  So did four pigeons with a leader named Victor.  They welcomed adventure.  The deer were hoping to locate Sweet Tree Island.

The weather and consequently the sea were not kind to the antlered ship or its occupants.  The pigeons preferred playing games.  The deer fretted about what could go wrong.  Marco continued to have questions.  They were shivery, soggy and a bit hungry with the limited provisions.  The fox decided a change in attitude was needed.

A recipe book and charts altered their outlook.  As if sensing their moods' shift, the seas calmed and the moon shown in a clearing night sky.  Oh, their troubles were not over because sailing the seas meant continued natural challenges and scuffles with nasty scoundrels but often it's those difficulties which bring us to the riches we sought.


Author Dashka Slater honors in this tale the right to examine one's world and life outside what is expected.  Each animal is seeking something beyond their distinctive and instinctive boundaries.  One would never expect three deer, four pigeons and a fox to set sail on a ship, an antlered ship.

Using an exemplary combination of narrative, conversation and Marco's thoughts we travel with the companions.  We experience their doubts during the storm.  We are uplifted with their renewed determination.  We cheer and smile at one of the best three word lines in the book.  We triumph alongside them in victories.  We take joy in their hillside reflections.  Here is a sample passage.

As they plotted their course, the wind picked up.
The storm clouds thinned into marvelous swirls.
"Raise the sails!" Sylvia cried. 


When you open the dust jacket, the first thing you might think (if you are me) is I wish I could frame this artwork.  The antlered ship sailing through the Maze of Sharp Rocks at sunrise spans flap edge to flap edge.  It is a stunning display of adventure at sea.  You can smell the salt-tinged air and hear the waves crash against the rocks and the cry of the seagulls.  You can feel the ship cut through the water.  And you wonder where this magnificent ship with two pigeons, a deer and a fox is going.  Another spectacular feature is the texture of the jacket.  It is rough to the touch; like feeling a piece of the side of a wooden ship.  The title text is raised.

Beneath the jacket the book case is a deep sea green with a wide red, cloth spine.  On the front, to the right, is the anchor for the antlered ship.  To the left the ship's helm is pictured.  Each of these is embossed in an even deeper shade of sea green.  On the opening and closing endpapers in shades of brown like an old sea map is the water and land through which the voyagers weave their way.  Readers will enjoy the tiny details and given names for geographic points.

The majority of the illustrations, with the exception of four, span two pages with shifts in perspective to enhance the narrative.  Using graphite and ballpoint pen with digital coloring The Fan Brothers, Eric Fan and Terry Fan, have created truly spectacular illustrations; Marco on a cliff watching the antlered ship enter the harbor, the storm at sea, the reviving stew scene, studying the charts, the terrifying pirate crew, and Marco's search for other foxes and answers.  The passage of time and changes in weather are displayed with beautiful shifts in sky shades.  Humor is found in the smallest elements (Victor the pigeon) and in the page with the pigeons shirking shipboard duties.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is at night.  On the right against a sky sprinkled with stars is the bow and antlers of the ship.  Sylvia is standing close to the front.  Sitting in the center of the large antlers is Marco gazing toward the left.  Pigeons sit on either side of him.  The other two pigeons are together on a lower, left antler.  To the left of the picture a full moon is rising over a small island.  The moon lights a path on the calm water.


This collaboration between Dashka Slater and The Fan Brothers, The Antlered Ship, is one adventure you want to have repeatedly.  Their journey of discovery, not only in finding what they initially seek, but in forming lasting friendships is a tale to hold in your heart.  And the illustrations will literally have you exclaiming out loud.  You will most definitely want to have a copy of this title on your professional and personal bookshelves.

To learn more about Dashka Slater and The Fan Brothers and their other work please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  At the publisher's website you can view several interior illustrations.  Eric and Terry Fan are interviewed at Words for Life and Read and Shine. 

This Is Where The Magic Happens

Without fail every night for more than fifteen years there was not a sky I did not stand beneath marveling at the stars and phases of the moon.  When you have a canine companion this is the way of your world.  In truth gazing upward looking at the beauty found in the dark has captivated me for most of my years.  No matter what happens during the days of our lives, no matter what happens on this planet of ours, the stars and moon offer constant comfort.

The dusk and blackness which comes after the setting of the sun is not always welcome to everyone.  The Darkest Dark (Little, Brown And Company, September 13, 2016) written by Chris Hadfield and Kate Fillion with illustrations by The Fan Brothers (Terry Fan and Eric Fan) is a story of dreams.  There are dreams held in the heart of the dark.

Chris was an astronaut.  An important and very busy astronaut.

He tried to avoid getting in and then out of the bath tub before bedtime with proclamations to his mother and father about astronautical duties he needed to perform.  When he was ready for bed he simply could not relax.  Chris couldn't sleep and his parents craved sleep.

When he was asked to stay in his own bed, he tried but the dark, the very, very dark was a special place; inviting to aliens.  At their wits' end his parents went back with him to his bedroom, checking everywhere for any visitors from other worlds.  They left him a bell to ring on the outside chance he would see any guests.  The persistent ding-a-linging brought them to his side.

His father patiently reminded Chris, he had to go to sleep otherwise they would be too tired for the once-in-a-lifetime event tomorrow.  When the next night finally arrived Chris and his parents joined a whole crowd of people gathered to watch the only television on the island.  It was July 1969.

Chris, his best buddy, Albert, a pug, and all those people watched real astronauts walking for the first time on the Moon.  Chris realized something else as he looked at those men in space on Earth's satellite.  With this awareness something big shifted inside his mind.  Later, back in his bedroom, at home everything was the same except for Chris.  With new eyes, he was seeing the dark, the very very dark and its infinite possibilities.


As children our imaginations are running at full tilt, nearly every waking moment.  Chris Hadfield and Kate Fillion convey the excitement of role-paying your dreams.  They also expertly depict the very real childhood fear of the dark and the persistence and patience of parents who are trying to help their son but need their sleep too.  In those minutes when Chris is watching the astronauts walk on the moon and a new viewpoint sweeps through his being, the narrative changes declaring profound truths, uplifting you as they did a boy who made his dreams come true.  Here is a sample passage.

His mom and dad checked under his bed and in the closet and even in his underwear drawer.  They declared the room 100 percent alien-free.


The initial look at the image spanning the entire dust jacket, back to front, left to right, will have you wondering about the darkest dark.  What is happening beneath this moon?  What is this boy seeing as he looks across the lake?  Here as they have done throughout the book, The Fan Brothers attention to detail is exquisite.  We know two important things about this boy, his love of spaceships and his dog.  On the midnight blue book case the only element, in silver, is the surface of our Moon on the right, front, of the case.

An even darker shade of blue replete with stars covers the opening and closing endpapers.  Rendered in graphite and colored digitally the illustrations by Eric Fan and Terry Fan dazzle your eyes at every page turn.  They begin with a two-page wordless spread of the home on the lake surrounded by trees in back, the sky brightening with the sunrise.  In the first single page image a calendar hangs on the wall signifying July 1969.  Chris has a moon phase poster hanging over his bed and a crescent moon night light.

The mix of true historical and more recent elements, the Toronto Daily Star newspaper, Walter Cronkite's face on the television screen broadcasting the moon landing and walk and images of Earth from space, blend beautifully with the other artwork.  The design of these pictures draws us into the scene.  We feel as if we are in the room with Chris and Albert as the aliens come into his bedroom, they are more curious than frightening.  The alternating perspectives and the light and shadows are realistic but also magical, imitating the wonder of true life.

I have many favorite illustrations but one I particularly like is the evening of the broadcast.  It spans two pages.  We are outside the home of the neighbors owning the television set. A mix of evergreen and deciduous trees is around the outside, leaves drifting down as a moon and stars share the sky.  Lights shine from inside as people gather.  Chris, his mother and father and Albert are about to enter the house.  Two large aliens are watching them over the rooftop.


The Darkest Dark written by Chris Hadfield and Kate Fillion with illustrations by The Fan Brothers, based upon Chris's memories of summers spent at his family's cottage on Stag Island, is about facing fears and following dreams.  The text and illustrations will transform readers of all ages.  For some of us we can remember that July 1969 and for others, the marvelous moments are reborn.  At the close of the book a page is devoted to Chris's steps in making his dream come true.  Opposite that page on the left, The Fan Brothers have placed memorabilia from his boyhood.  On two more pages Chris Hadfield leaves a message for readers with nine original photographs.

To discover more about Chris Hadfield and The Fan Brothers and their accomplishments please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites. At The Fan Brothers website you can view the other cover for this title.  There is an article and several more interior illustrations at thestar.com.  I know you will want to read this interview of The Fan Brothers at KidLit411.  Author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson features The Fan Brothers and art from this book at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  Enjoy the videos.

While Everyone Sleeps

Daylight fades with the sky turning dusky shades of red, purple, blue, orange and yellow painted by the rays of the setting sun.  Flocks of birds gather in groups, resting in tree tops.  Burrows, holes in trees, beds in ponds, rivers, streams, lakes, fields and forests are sought.  Humans and most of their natural world counterparts are ending their day looking forward to hours of rest.  As each drifts off to sleep they do so certain when they awaken their surroundings will be as they were unless weather or the seasons make their mark.

Imagine if you will, upon waking, finding something so extraordinary you have to pinch yourself to make sure you are not dreaming.  The Night Gardener (Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, February 16, 2016) written and illustrated by The Fan Brothers (Eric Fan and Terry Fan) explores the idea of a single significant act of beauty as the beginning of marvelous changes.  Something or someone is working a kind of enchantment.

William looked out his window to find a commotion on the street.

Dressing with the speed of lightning he ran out of the orphanage to discover the tree outside his building was no longer an ordinary, everyday kind of tree.  Its leaves and branches had been formed into the shape of a huge owl watching the world in its infinite wisdom.  It was no wonder William could not take his eyes off this work of art until he fell asleep full of anticipation.

Each morning a new creation greeted William and the people residing on Grimloch Lane.  It might be something as normal as a house cat or as exotic as an elephant.  The topiaries were not the only thing new in this community.  More and more people were taking the time to look at these reshaped trees.  Life in this community was shifting from gloomy to bright.

On the sixth morning, two trees had been joined together in a fantastic display.  A creature from legend flew above the street.  That night people did not want to go to sleep.  They celebrated their good fortune well after dark.

On his way back to the orphanage William saw a silent unfamiliar figure walking down the street.  Something prompted him to follow.  As the mysterious stranger walked through the gates to the park, he turned to William and spoke.  His words, his work and his gift altered the heart of one boy and minds of many now and forever.


Terry Fan and Eric Fan, The Fan Brothers, use easy conversational sentences encouraging readers to turn pages seeking the newest leafy monument fashioned by the night gardener.  Pacing is enhanced with pauses in those short phrases through the use of punctuation.  This writing technique allows for the stunning pictorial narrative.  Here is a sample passage.

That night he went to sleep
with a sense of excitement.

The following morning,

William was not disappointed.


Rendered in graphite and colored digitally the opened dust jacket (and interior illustrations) conveys a sense of extraordinary, magic in the night, from left to right, back to front, with two majestic trees on the left and William gazing at the transformation of one on the right.  The full moon adds to the atmosphere of change in the offing.  On the book case against a background of charcoal gray, the pale blue green is used to create a branch of oak leaves and acorns on the left.  To the right a single wide branch, bent to form an oval frame, surrounds a hat with a tiny bird perched on top.  Beneath them is a pair of hedge shears.  The opening and closing endpapers are patterned with light gray drawings of curved tree branches, leaves and the tiny bird on a pale sage green background.

With a page turn we see the publication information tucked into the lower left hand portion of a double-page spread showing Grimloch Lane in dull gray-brown, homes in need of repair, people walking down the street with bowed heads.  In the far left-hard corner, someone is walking into the town carrying a rolled blanket and ladder over their shoulders strolling with the assistance of a walking stick.  The dedication page introduces us to William drawing his version of an owl in a sandy patch in the grass.  The stranger passes him on the sidewalk.

The next full page illustration is of the Night Gardener sorting his tools under the light of the full moon.  The story continues on the title page with the next full two-page image.  The Brothers Fan use exquisite artwork, four separate pictures, to begin their story without the use of words.

The use of matte-finished cream-colored paper enhances their illustrations alternating in size from single page images to two-page pictures or a smaller visual surrounded by the background color. With the revelation of each topiary more color is added reinforcing the impact of the gardener.  The Fan Brothers also increase the amount of people appearing in the pictures.  The people are engaged in making improvement to their homes, the community and their ability to enjoy life.

Readers will enjoy looking at all the intricate details; a picture of a couple next to the orphan boy in his bedroom (his parents?), the repeated appearance of the little girl in pig-tails and striped shirt, the arrival of multi-colored birds, a white rabbit sitting quietly beneath the rabbit topiary or the significance of a pig and rooster joining the crowd and the numbers 69 and 71 on two of the doors.   One of my many favorite illustrations is of the Night Gardener.  It is a close-up of him turning toward William. His face is framed by the light of the full moon with a tree trunk and leaves to the right.  He is wearing his hat.  On one shoulder his bed roll is perched and over the other is his satchel.  You can see he is carrying his ladder in one hand and using a walking stick with his right hand.  His eyes and the shape of his mustache portray a smile in his words.

You will be filled with expectations or at the very least look for small pieces of wonder in your world when you next wake up after reading The Night Gardener written and illustrated by Terry Fan and Eric Fan.  One person intent on sharing their gifted skill can make an eloquent statement resulting in permanent change.  The kindness of one toward another who needs it is immeasurable.  I find the bridge between generations to be particularly moving. This title comes with my highest recommendations.

To learn more about The Fan Brothers, Eric Fan and Terry Fan and their other work please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  At the publishers website eight more illustrations are available for you to view.  Please stop by Twenty by Jenny for an interview with the brothers.  Enjoy the video which depicts how the brothers collaborate.



UPDATE:  Enjoy Five Questions With Eric & Terry Fan July 11, 2016