“Reflections” by Ann Jonas
William Morrow & Company, New York, 1987, 32 pages, Grades 2-3.
Children’s literature is an extremely creative world in which text, art and ingenuity intersect. Unlike adult books in which the story is carried by text, children’s books often use a variety of media to achieve this task.
One of the first children’s books to establish this mode was the 1963 picture book, “Where the Wild Things Are,” by Maurice Sendak. This book was revolutionary in that the pictures in the book start large, taking up the entire page and then began progressively shrinking as the story reaches the climax. During the falling action of the book, Sendak then ingeniously enlarges the characters until the pages are completely filled again at the conclusion of the story.
Ann Jonas is one of the first author/illustrators to paint inverted images. By this process, readers can read the story from start to finish holding the book in the normal position. Then, readers can turn the book over and read the book backward. All the pictures become new images. It is really very clever and shows extraordinary talent to be able to paint pictures that can be viewed right-side-up or upside down. “Reflections” is the name of this famous book.
The story begins with a child lying in bed. The family home is near an ocean and they get up early to see the sunrise. As they go to the ocean, the fishermen are all hard at work. The sea gulls fly by the fishing boat as the pinks of sunrise give way to the beautiful blue sky of the morning. The family goes to a boatyard but don’t see anyone in the area because they are all having a picnic on the beach. It is so crowded that the child decides to go for a walk past an old mill. There is a carnival train next to the mill, so the youngster begins to wonder what is about to happen.
The child then walks through an orchard filled with ripe fruit and spies a deer hiding in a nearby stand of trees. The deer is so cleverly camouflaged that it blends into the forest background. Eventually, the youth nearly gets lost in the deep forest. One can only see the sky by looking straight up through the trees. So the child turns around and begins to walk out of the forest.
Of course, now you have to turn the book upside down and read the story a second time to see how the child and the family return to the beginning.
What happens on the trip back? Is there an airplane involved? What happens when all the pictures are turned upside down? How is it possible for Ann Jonas to create such amazing pictures? To find out, go to the library and check out “Reflections.”
Ann Jonas opened a new and exciting vista in children’s literature with this book. When you read the story and then turn it upside down and look at the inverted picture, you will be amazed.
Children love reading this book together because they are charmed and entertained by the artwork. The paintings are very colorful and bright and you will want to keep turning the pages to find out what is coming next.
I hope you take the chance to check out this title and read it with the younger members of your family. It is simply great fun. Enjoy!
