Along A Long Road [Hardcover]

When it comes to children's literature it is becoming more and more difficult to find something that you can truly call "different;" something unique that grabs you and causes you to say to yourself, "Good grief, I've never seen anything quite like this before." Considering that illustrated children's books, in one fashion or another have been with us since at least the 15th or 16th century, the likelihood of producing something absolutely new is quite small.

Well, Frank Viva has come pretty near creating a completely new work here. Yes, there are books out there where some of the elements of this work can be found, but Viva has taken many of these elements and come-up with something that I feel is truly a bit different.

This is the story of a man on a bicycle trip; a short day trip really, or just a trip from home to perhaps his office and then back home. The starting point and the ending point really matter little in this case as it is the journey that counts; it is what this simple story is about. A man begins his journey on his bike. He followings a never ending road though the countryside, through small villages, goes by the sea, through tunnels, across bridges, into the big city, though neighborhoods and then beyond. He starts but really, never finishes...and if he does finish, well.....

The author has used a yellow road; a twisting, turning, up and down road that connects each frame of the book. The illustrations are really all one very long and large picture of the man's journey. It is really rather difficult to describe, but I assure you it is absolutely delightful. These illustrations are accompanied by a wonderfully simple text...short two, three and four word entries that have an almost hypnotic effect and most certainly can be classified and mellow.

"Along a long road
gaining speed
Again
and again and again
Around a round bend
near the end........"

Each of the above lines are a line of text which are placed on one page; one part of the overall illustration.

And the illustration! My, oh my! The author/artist has used precisely five colors throughout the entire book with jet black being the primary back ground color; the back ground on which the road runs. The lines are simple, precise and the colors have not been blended, but whether they are straight or curved, they simply flow. The illustrator has a very quirky eye and apparently views life though a different lens than most of us.

This is an ideal book to read to or with a child. As the rider passes though on his journey the sights he sees and the different scenes that pass, leave so very many side stories that the adult reader can use with the child as this work is being read. With the simple act of passing through a village, with a river and ship in the background, At least five side stories that I can tell a child passed through my mind...this was on just two frames!

This work is a visual treat, a mellow read, a pure delight for eye and ear and imagination. This is one you most certainly will want to add to your child's library.

The author and illustrator of this work has had work that has appeared on the cover o the New Yorker and his work has appeared in the New York Times, Boston Globe and Time Magazine. This is his first children's book...amazing and how remarkable.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

Frank Viva, a noted artist, crafts a simple but interesting and fun story about a boy who takes his bicycle around town and through a number of fun and challenging obstacles and noteworthy places. What makes this book unique and fun is that the author has used great texture in showing the path the boy follows by painting a yellow line that extends through the entire book charting his path around town. The yellow line, or path, jumps out of the page in the book and catches the readers's eye allowing children to focus in on the boy, the path he takes, and the people he sees around town. This book was named one of the NY Times Best Children's Books of 2011 and is a worthwhile addition to any small children's library.

Roads wind through towns, across countrysides and through cities. They are what connect people to each other.

In "Along a Long Road" by Frank Viva, readers follow a never-ending road from page to page without a break. The road, highlighted in yellow and with a smooth texture, stands out as it winds across the pages.

The road crosses through trees, under power lines, around a small town, into a tunnel, over a bridge and going really, really fast.

Limited to primary colors, the illustrations here are graphic in nature and play to the movement of the winding road. And the physical texture of the road is a nice touch. Unfortunately the review copy I received, the UV coating was not completely dry when the book was assembled and it stuck together, leaving a tear near the spine. It's a small tear, however, and only slightly detracts from the book as a whole.

There's little text to "Along a Long Road," but it's really not needed. It's a fun little book that children will appreciate for its movement and that parents will appreciate for its artistic merit.

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