Amos Jellybean Gets it Right

Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith have a lot to answer for. Their brilliance (and that of their typographic designer, Molly Leach) has led to an avalanche of followers aiming to achieve the same formula of kooky, cool, rambling subversion through the use of 2D pictorial rather than representational space, digitally imported textures, a liberal sprinkling of ironic reference to 1950s and 60s advertising and the obligatory first person commentary. Author/artist and publisher are English but everything about this book is aimed at the sought-after American co-edition market. ‘So I say, OK. I’ll swap my cheese on rye for Sam’s ham and mustard pie. No! I mean, I’ll swap Jake’s custard noodles for my pickled strudel.’, says Amos. Not a bacon sarnie or jam buttie in sight. The ever more urgent and brazen clamour for US sales means that we are likely to see a lot more of this sort of thing in the future, and we can only speculate as to the long term implications for UK publishing. Meanwhile, Amos Jellybean is a boy who has trouble remembering his instructions in the right order, managing to rearrange his various everyday activities ‘Mr Wrong’ fashion into an absurd jumble, an idea that never fails to amuse and delight young children.