Book of the Month
Class 313 read Mr. Flux by Kyo Maclear. In this picture book for those who are dubious about change—and who isn’t, a little bit, really?—Mr. Flux tells the story of Martin, a young boy who lives in a tidy little square house in a quiet and sedate neighborhood. Quiet and sedate, that is, until Mr. Flux arrives, employing a hat as a mailbox, turning a fish into a fountain, and launching a good-natured assault on the status quo. A mysterious box lures Martin to the new arrival’s door, and before you can say uh-oh, Martin is playing ping-pong with olives. With an archly raised eyebrow, Maclear (Spork, 2010; Virginia Wolf, 2012) offers an obvious, enjoyable call for silliness, while newcomer Stephens creates scenes of age-appropriate surrealism to match the mood. The book uses Fluxus, a media-blending artistic movement of the 1960s, as an inspiration and tonal springboard. (From Booklist)
|