FUZZY DOODLE

A few weeks ago my friend Summer from Reading Is Our Thing posted about Fuzzy Doodle by Melinda Syzmanik and Donovan Bixley and casually suggested I check it out. And when Summer recommends something, you can be sure it's a good pick. So I went online and searched EVERYWHERE. As it turns out, The Fuzzy Doodle is only available in New Zealand and Australia, and since I'm in the US, I ended up buying it from a shop halfway around the world.

It was so, so worth it.

I had absolutely no idea what to expect when I opened the book, and I really had no idea what was going to happen until the end. It's such an organically-told story that highlights the power of words to transform even the most imaginative of creatures. Without giving too much away, the fuzzy doodle is a scratch, a scribble that eats the words on the page and begins to grow. And grow and grow. No matter how much it eats, it can't seem to get full. Until one day he encases himself in a little cocoon. But what will emerge?

The illustrations shine. Literally: the blackest ink spots are actually made from a different material so that bits of each illustration shine, like black ink drops from a handwritten book. It's so much fun to run your fingers across. Color is introduced very gradually in this book, from the images on the pages to the pages themselves, which are each a slightly different color than each other. The illustrations are a mixture of ink and watercolor, and the font of the text changes in order serve the larger purpose of showing the fuzzy doodle's journey. Bixley is careful to incorporate each and every word into the illustrations themselves, especially at the beginning when the fuzzy doodle is growing and ravenously eating the words. It's an absolute pleasure to read.

Thank you again to Summer for this perfect recommendation! And for those of you who want it and don't live in New Zealand or Australia--let me know if you need help tracking down a copy!!