Hello, Sailor

Apparently, this book is being promoted as 'the first gay picture book'. The title would seem to bear this out, though a little creative licence may have been used in arriving at this translation from the original Dutch, which means 'Where is Sailor?' Whatever. This is a gentle and charming tale of loneliness, waiting and dreams. The illustrations, which appear to have been executed through some form of pochoir/stencil technique, are beautifully evocative of the salty air and starry nights of the seashore. Matt the lighthouse keeper spends his days staring out to sea, awaiting the return of 'sailor', with whom he is to set sail on a round the world voyage. There is much to enjoy in this book, in particular the gently flowing visual pace of the designs, and the attractive all round production. This is just a little let down by what seems to be a rather confused and diluted ending.