The Five Sisters
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Cover Story
The cover of this issue is a design incorporating illustrations from four books illustrated by the subject of our Authorgraph, Ian Beck. The top left illustration is from Five Little Ducks (Orchard), the top right from Poppy and Pip's Picnic (to be published Autumn '97 by HarperCollins), the bottom left from The Owl and the Pussy-cat (Transworld) and the bottom right from Home Before Dark (to be published September '97 by Scholastic). Ian Beck's Picture Book (Hippo) is reviewed in this issue.
Beck talks to BfK's interviewer, Julia Eccleshare, also in this issue. His distinctive decorative style with its sensitive pen line and cross hatching has a nostalgic but sometimes also a surreal quality - he describes it as 'a look that is floating, strong and wistful all at the same time'.
Thanks to Orchard, HarperCollins, Transworld and Scholastic for their help in producing this composite cover.
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The Five Sisters
Illustrated by Patricia MacCarthy
The five sisters in question in this latest volume from the prolific pen of Margaret Mahy are five paper dolls joined at the hands. Through a series of misadventures, only one doll is given her face, and with it her ability to express her individual character, at a time, as they blow around the city landing with one person and another. This tale, is given characteristic depth by Mahy's exploration of a number of themes. The dolls each represent a different facet of human experience, and as each in turn is given her voice, we learn more about the complexity of their hopes and dreams. As the row of sisters changes, so too do the people drawing them, experiencing new feelings of confidence in themselves. The story's ending is rather too neatly contrived-but I found myself able to forgive Mahy as the dolls are at last free to find the island of their dreams, vowing to separate and explore each in her own way, but always coming together again. A warm and ultimately satisfying book. The 16 short chapters are illustrated with soft pencil drawings; this book is good read aloud, or could be tackled by confident readers of 8+.
