The Long Island

by Drew Beckmeyer

Overview

Some of us like the comfort of familiarity—staying close to the home we've always known, making a life, building a community. For some, the intimacy of the old routine is satisfaction itself. But the known is not for everyone. When our 5 protagonists get to wondering what's on the other side of their island, they can't stop until they find out. What follows is an epic journey of discovery, danger, imagination, and ultimately, bittersweet fulfillment. Is this sophisticated picture book about man versus earth? Man versus man? Or man versus self? Like our protagonists, every reader will find their own right answer in this haunting and deceptively simple modern fable.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452157566
Publisher:	Chronicle Books
Publication date:	04/03/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	64
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Drew Beckmeyer is an elementary school art teacher. He lives in Los Angeles, California. This is his first book.

Editorial Reviews

"Beautiful and skillful. Daring. Every reader may come away from this curious and quiet book with a different message, and the deeper meanings are an intriguing challenge to parse." -Kirkus Reviews

"Beautiful and skillful. Daring. Every reader may come away from this curious and quiet book with a different message, and the deeper meanings are an intriguing challenge to parse." -Kirkus Reviews

"Feels a bit like a fable." —Geek Dad

"Feels a bit like a fable." —Geek Dad

"Reminiscent of Where the Wild Things Are in its spare prose and powerful imagery, it's a book that takes your breath away - before leading to deep discussions about the tantalizing unknowns in our world." —Fatherly

"Reminiscent of Where the Wild Things Are in its spare prose and powerful imagery, it's a book that takes your breath away - before leading to deep discussions about the tantalizing unknowns in our world." —Fatherly

"Rich discussions will arise after reading." -Publishers Weekly

"Rich discussions will arise after reading." -Publishers Weekly

"A lighthearted look at imaginative play and friendship, perfect for storytime or readers' theater productions." -School Library Journal

"A lighthearted look at imaginative play and friendship, perfect for storytime or readers' theater productions." -School Library Journal

"Different readers will finish this simple yet sophisticated book with different lessons in mind, but all readers will experience the thrill of discovery and imagination."-School Library Journal

"Different readers will finish this simple yet sophisticated book with different lessons in mind, but all readers will experience the thrill of discovery and imagination."-School Library Journal

From the Publisher

2018-02-13
Beckmeyer's first picture book takes readers on a circular journey around a mysterious island.This parable, rendered in richly textured crayon, follows five friends who "wonder about the other side of the island" they dwell on, so they set out to paddle around to it. A failed landing leaves four friends, who try to cut through dense forest haunted by big cats, leaving three friends who build a long and precarious slide. Structures resembling roller coasters and Seattle's Space Needle lure others to the island, and these newcomers carouse in party hats and develop it beyond recognition. At the end, one last friend tries, again, to find the wild side of the island, a venture that ends in a chaotic black scribble that leaves readers with far more questions than it answers. Every reader may come away from this curious and quiet book with a different message, and the deeper meanings are an intriguing challenge to parse. One might ask why the characters are dark pink, purple, orange, grayish-brown, and light pink and what their genders are. Who are they, and why are they on this island? In addition to the beautiful and skillful yet childlike illustrations, the text has a certain elegance, excellent pacing helping to carry readers through the exceptionally long picture book.This daring approach to the picture book may find an audience of philosophical adults and children who take pleasure in the unusual. (Picture book. 5-9)

Kirkus Reviews