Title: Du Iz Tak?
Author & Illustrator: Carson Ellis
Publisher: Candlewick, 2016
Ages: 5-8
Themes: possibility, drama, invention
Genre: fiction
48 pages
Awards: Caldecott Honor Book, 2017
Opening:
Du iz tak?
Ma nazoot.
Synopsis:
Du iz tak? What is that? As a tiny shoot unfurls, two damselflies peer at it in wonder. When the plant grows taller and sprouts leaves, some young beetles arrive to gander, and soon—with the help of a pill bug named Icky—they wrangle a ladder and build a tree fort. But this is the wild world, after all, and something horrible is waiting to swoop down—booby voobeck!—only to be carried off in turn. Su! With exquisitely detailed illustrations and tragicomic flair, Carson Ellis invites readers to imagine the dramatic possibilities to be found in even the humblest backyard. Su! (Goodreads)
Why I like this book:
I am a linguist, so the first thing I did was try and work out some of the grammar rules of this playful, invented language. It is a delight on the lips and the ears to read aloud. And, just with a wordless book, it invites small readers to invest even more of themselves in the storytelling as well as being able to discern and decode the gist of what is being said. It is a one-of-a-kind marvelous book, with outrageously gorgeous bug world illustrations and stellar use of white space.
It’s warm and lyrical, creative and subtle, brilliant and droll, I believe kids will love it.
Resources/Activities:
Have students create a few scenes of a story using a made up language!
Find more “Perfect Picture Book Friday” reviews at Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog HERE.
In my 20's, with only my guitar and a rucksack, I wandered the continents, immersing myself in the lives of some wonderful people, projects and stories, which changed the way I view my responsibility to others and this earth. Right now I'm a European transplant in the US who writes books for children and young adults. Stories can help us not only navigate our world but can connect us to others, and allow us to inspire and help each other. I believe that equity and empathy should be at the core of our all actions, words, and stories.
I am also a school librarian and I get a kick out of book-matchmaking! And I use the pronouns she/her.
What a creative and fun book. I love the invented language! Great title because kids can figure it out.