Eyes and the Impossible

Johannes, a free dog, lives in an urban park by the sea. His job is to be the Eyes—to see everything that happens within the park and report back to the park’s elders, three ancient Bison. His friends—two seagulls, a raccoon, and a one-eyed squirrel—work with him as the Assistant Eyes, observing the humans and other animals who share the park and making sure the Equilibrium is in balance. 

But changes are afoot. More humans, including Trouble Travelers, arrive in the park. A new building, containing mysterious and hypnotic rectangles, goes up. And then there are the goats—an actual boatload of goats—who appear, along with a shocking revelation that changes Johannes’s view of the world.

A story about friendship, beauty, liberation, and running very, very fast, The Eyes & the Impossible will make readers of all ages see the world around them in a wholly new way.

***********************************

My daughter and I finished the 2024 Newbery Medalist last night, marking our first book of 2025. The Eyes & the Impossible by Dave Eggers is the third of the six award winners (Medalist and Honor Books) I've read and all of them have been very good.

The book was a quick read, with 39 mostly short chapters; it has great pacing and a lovely poetic flavor. Eggers delights in words and clever phrasing, yet keeps it relatable and humorous and wise. There are a number of beautiful full-color illustrations by Shawn Harris throughout the book, and I hope they keep those in the paperback edition!

The story is about a young dog named Johannes. Born in the woods, he values his liberty and scorns "kept" dogs on leashes. His greatest pleasure is his speed, which varies from as slow as "the fastest car" to the speed of light. As "The Eyes," his job is to observe the events and people in a small nature preserve, and report all he sees to the elders, a trio of ancient bison, who in turn "keep the equilibrium." His friends—a seagull, a raccoon, a pelican, and a one-eyed squirrel—assist him with this task, and they have long kept a peaceful rhythm, unobserved by the humans.

But the park is changing: mysterious rectangles with images that can hypnotize begin appearing and a strange building has been constructed. Its opening heralds the end to their normal way of life. Johannes's existence becomes known and his freedom imperiled. Yet, even as he is being stalked, he pursues a goal of his own..."The Impossible."

Overall, I found this story delightful. My daughter grew a little irritated by the dog's exaggerated references to time and speed and distance, but I found them charming. And there were only two very minor content considerations: the first is a funny scene in which park workers are yelling "OMG" (understandably).

The second was a scene in which the dog is questioned about his beliefs by a new friend. At first, this scene felt like a worldly-wise agnostic challenging the faith of a naive and narrow-minded believer, and that rankled me a bit. But the more I reflect on it, the more I actually like that moment. It can also be viewed as a true friend simply asking questions and exposing someone to another way of seeing. And, what could be better for "The Eyes"?

Review by Eli Evans
Formerly home educated and now father of five, Eli loves discovering amazing books, new and old, and is an artistic curator at heart. The owner and manager of Exodus since 1998, his focus is on offering thoughtful and well-written books that inspire the imagination and promote creativity and diligence while living for God. Read more of his reviews here.