#245 of 1001 · April 2, 2021

Loneliness can weigh heavily on the human heart. We are, after all, social creatures, in need of companions, of connection. For a powerful exploration of solitude’s quiet chill and friendship’s soothing balm, look no further than The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles, written by @pgreenboat and illustrated by @erinestead. The title character spends his days fishing glass bottles out of the sea and delivering the letters inside. Carrying each message to its addressee gives the Uncorker a sense of purpose and fulfillment. More than anything else, he longs to open a letter just for him, but he is convinced this will never happen—for who would write him one? When he discovers a lost party invitation, he goes from door to door hoping to find the intended recipient. Little does he realize the inadvertent connections he is building along the way, and the impact those connections will have on his own life. Cuevas employs lush prose poetry, constructing shades of character and emotion through simile (“loneliness as sharp as fish scales”) and metaphor (“a quill dipped in sadness”). Stead’s art, a combination of woodblock prints, oil pastels, and pencil, apply soft washes of color to the quiet emotions of the seaside community. #ocean #bottles #bottle #message #letter #loneliness #friendship #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookillustrations #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks