#213 of 1001 · March 1, 2021

Imagine having to leave everything behind and strike out into the unknown, traveling without company, without guidance, without clear hope of survival. Come explore the muted mystery of @_beckyoung_ and @mattottleyart’s Teacup. A boy climbs into a boat and rows across the sea. At the mercy of the elements, he carefully guards a single precious possession: a teacup full of earth. This lone reminder of the land of his origin both anchors him to the severed roots of his past and propels him toward a glimmer of hope on the horizon of his future. Young’s delicate minimalist text achieves a remarkable feat of worldbuilding, never directly addressing the cause of the boy’s displacement, but obliquely alluding to his family, their whereabouts now uncertain. Ottley’s oil paintings place the reader squarely in the center of the action through grippingly cinematic composition, arresting use of impasto, and unforgettable imagery of magic realism. #teacup #boat #sea #ocean #storm #sky #land #earth #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks