Janice Osenga Mathews

A bland, trite allegory - the most interesting part is the author's note, which is a brief account of the source of idea, and Selznick's research. That the story was actually meant to be fleshed out, both visually and verbally, in a film is evident. The science is complex but expressed enigmatically, which conveyed a sort of magical aura that I found to run counter to the factual, yet fascinating, basis of the scientific discovery behind the story. For me, the book reads as emotionally flat, in spite of all the overt tug-at-your-heartstrings attempts. The illustrations are not up to Selznick's prior work. I really don't know who Selznick's target audience is. Frankly, I think the topic would have been better handled by author/illustrator Molly Bang, who, especially in her Sunlight series, knows how to communicate scientific concepts in a luminous and informative way.