I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.
So begins Robert Louis Stevenson's quintessential poem of childhood about a little boy and his shadow. In this joyous picture book Ted Rand's exuberant illustrations expand the meaning of the poem, reaching out to children all over the world. Whether leapfrogging in Russia, frolicking around a fountain in Italy, or swinging beneath a tree in America, children are everywhere and their shadows are never far. As the children hop, skip, and jump their way across the pages, their shadows stretch, shrink, leap up, or follow behind, playfully mimicking their youthful counterparts.
Few have been able to express the wonder and curiosity of childhood as delightfully and surely as Stevenson.
And few other than Ted Rand could illustrate this beloved poem with such freshness and vitality. Here is a whole world of shadows waiting to be discovered.
Did you find this review helpful?