My Map Book

Originally published by Walker in 1995, this reissue reminds us of the changes in Sara Fanelli’s work over the years. My Map Book is a more painterly, more raw visual experience than the author’s recent work. It is a highly original idea that captures perfectly the way children love to organise information, lists and pictorial information. It is also an ideal vehicle for Fanelli, who has that magical childlike ability to construct images in a schematic way, using pictorial space rather than illusionistic space. Each spread is in the form of a pictorial map, but these are not maps of mere places; we have, for instance, a ‘map of my heart’, a ‘map of my day’ and a ‘map of my dog’. Only Fanelli can use pictures to map ideas and feelings in this way. Her work is always controversial in terms of its suitability for children, but I suspect that this is primarily to do with adult preconceptions. The book comes with a stunning dust jacket that unfolds into a giant map of maps. MS