#258 of 1001 · April 15, 2021

Is ignorance truly bliss? As this clever and compelling book suggests, sometimes uncertainty can be so excruciating that even delusion might be preferable. In Jean-François Chabas and @davidsala.illustration’s The Enchanted Chest, a haughty emperor comes into possession of a mysterious metal box that cannot be opened, no matter who tries. The captain of the guards, the emperor himself, the locksmith, the strongman, the magician, the alchemist...all apply their most trusted tools and techniques, and all utterly fail. Finally, the emperor captures a wild lynx, said to be capable of seeing through all things, and asks the wild beast to describe the contents of the chest. The lynx’s discovery and her report to the emperor provide the reader with startlingly deep insight into human behavior and motivation. Chabas, his work here translated from French, creates an original parable with elegant phrasing and subtle beats of humor. Sala flattens his images to create exaggerated two-dimensional scenes replete with glittering metallic colors arrayed in delicate patterns and textures. #enchanted #chest #treasure #magician #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcover #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookillustrations #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks