Virginia Wolf
by Kyo Maclear (Author) Isabelle Arsenault (Illustrator)
Vanessa's sister, Virginia, is in a "wolfish" mood --- growling, howling and acting very strange. It's a funk so fierce, the whole household feels topsy-turvy. Vanessa tries everything she can think of to cheer her up, but nothing seems to work. Then Virginia tells Vanessa about an imaginary, perfect place called Bloomsberry.
Armed with an idea, Vanessa begins to paint Bloomsberry on the bedroom walls, transforming them into a beautiful garden complete with a ladder and swing "so that what was down could climb up." Before long, Virginia, too, has picked up a brush and undergoes a surprising transformation of her own. Loosely based on the relationship between author Virginia Woolf and her sister, painter Vanessa Bell, Virginia Wolf is an uplifting story for readers of all ages.
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Publishers Weekly
It's not often that a writer-illustrator team conceives a second work so much more ambitious and complex than the first (in this case, 2010's Spork), and rarer still to execute it so well. In an invented episode from Virginia Woolf's depression-beset youth, young Vanessa Bell narrates the story of one of her sister's bad spells, punning on Woolf's adult surname: "She made wolf sounds and did strange things." Virginia's rages disrupt the entire household ("Up became down. Bright became dim") until Virginia expresses a wish to fly to "a perfect place.... with frosted cakes and beautiful flowers." "Where is that?" Vanessa asks. "Bloomsberry, of course," Virginia answers. As Virginia sleeps, Vanessa paints "Bloomsberry" for her sister on endless sheets of drawing paper, remaking the world for her. Arsenault conveys the transformation by moving suddenly from b&w silhouettes to a swirling, multicolored fantasy of swings, cupcakes, and gigantic flowers. Some readers may be shaken by Virginia's ferocity--it's hard to soften madness--but Vanessa's act of love is recounted with grace and sensitivity in this remarkable collaboration. Ages 4-8. Agent: Jackie Kaiser, Westwood Creative Artists. (Mar.)
Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2--Drawing inspiration from Virginia Woolf and her sister, Maclear tells the story of two siblings who share a strong bond and creative spirit despite their dissimilar personalities. When Virginia awakens in a wolfish mood, Vanessa uses her imagination to right the upside-down world. Through her wall paintings, she takes Virginia and readers out of the bad mood and into Bloomsberry, the perfect place. The wolfish mood is communicated not only through words ("Do not brush your teeth so loudly"), but also through the size and style of text. The louder Virginia howls, the larger and wilder the lettering becomes. As Vanessa's paintings develop, the wolf's silhouette changes into a girl wearing a hair bow. Gray shapes strewn across the pages settle down into the colorful and serene flowers of Bloomsberry. It is the delicacy of the mixed-media illustrations (ink, pencil, watercolor, gouache) that tames the feral Virginia and gives real strength to the story. Parents will enjoy sharing this book with their sometimes "wolfish" children.--Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH
Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
