In the Evening

In the Evening by Edwina Wyatt, Illustrations by Gaye Chapman (Little Hare Books (an imprint of Hardie Grant Egmont)

RRP $24.95 Hardback

ISBN 978-1-742975-28-3

Review by Dianne Cook

Edwina Wyatt’s In the Evening concerns itself with that ‘time of day’ when not only the light changes, but how our perceptions of the world around us can be affected too. It is the time described in a common French idiom as “the hour between the wolf and the dog” – when the light can cause you to confuse the friendly dog and the unfriendly wolf.  A stanza from Emily Dickinson, used as an epigraph, describes this effect.

There’s a certain Slant of light,

          Winter Afternoons –

That oppresses, like the Heft

          Of Cathedral Tunes –     

Both the story and the illustrations are, in the strict sense of the word, fabulous.  At the launch of her book Edwina Wyatt described the relationship between writer and illustrator as the “co-imagining” of a story. This is an example of “co-imagining” at its best.

The book introduces us to Charlie and Oscar who are neighbours but not yet neighbourly. They spend their evenings differently, apart, but observing each other. The images of these endearing squirrely characters have a mythical quality; their story has universal resonance while at the same time showing homely particulars of how these two begin a friendship.  This layering of meaning is expressed verbally in the story’s ‘fable’ quality and visually in the wash of watercolour over clear outlines. Gaye Chapman’s artwork was inspired by the atmospheric paintings of JMW Turner, Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. Gaye Chapman used loose washes of transparent watercolours and tea over graphite and coloured pencils and spatterings of masking-fluid stars, rain and snow.

The story has significance for Charlie and Oscar and for everyone, for this place and everywhere. In appreciating the story of the two creatures, children see possibilities for dealing with their own times of fearfulness and doubt.

Recurring uncertainty is expressed in the repetition of the line, “Oscar didn’t know what to do” -  a feeling every child and every adult will know.  But the cycle is broken with a gesture of outreach.  Oscar begins to “hope” for more signs of friendship from Charlie, and makes a move. A “knock, knock” on Charlie’s door, and a “hello” lead to an evening of delightful conviviality.

“That evening, bellies ached from laughter.

That evening, spoons went back for thirds.”

That “slant of light” that “oppresses” has been displaced by illuminated windows and a cosy fireside as “the night had just begun.”  So too has a friendship and an understanding. “Knock, knock” and “Hello!” won’t be strange sounds to Charlie any more.

There is a lesson here in this whimsical fable, but it’s conveyed with the lightest touch.

Miss Emily

Miss Emily by Burleigh Muten, illustrated by Matt Phelan (Walker Books)

HC RRP $ 19.95

ISBN 9780763657345

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Almost everyone knows the poet Emily Dickinson. In this verse novel, we get an insight into her private life and her incredible enjoyment of life which she shared with her nieces, nephews, and their friends with whom Emily spent a great deal of time in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Theirs was a world of make-believe and imagination. Filled with adventure and daring, the story portrays a freedom and way of life unknown to children of today. Play and invention, and the art of storytelling fill the pages. The properness of the era, the regard one person had for the other, and the gentility of life one hundred years ago is strongly represented.

The story is told from the point of view of the youngest member of the group Mac Jenkins, son of Pastor Jenkins, a close friend of Emily’s. Mac later became a writer and wrote several books on Emily Dickinson.

This is an adventure filled with delight and memories. Emily takes her band of young friends on a secret midnight excursion to see the circus arrive by train. Dressed as Amherst gypsies, the outing becomes a play, as do most of their get-togethers. The real gypsies discover the group and draw them into their circle for an added experience. They slip back into the night as quietly as they came, trying to keep their outing a secret.

But a fall causes Mac to sprain his ankle and their escapade is uncovered. Instead of punishment, the Pastor takes the children to the circus. It becomes a night to remember.

It is beautifully told in perfect prose by the gifted Burleigh Muten, a member of the Emily Dickinson International Society, and stunningly interpreted by the highly acclaimed author-illustrator, Matt Phelan. Their collaboration has created a collector’s delight.

The characters in the book were real people. A short biography in the historical notes at the end allows us to learn something about their lives. Included is a rich bibliography.