#301 of 1001 · May 28, 2021

Today is the day of my three-hundredth book review. I can’t believe it’s been so long since I began this little project of mine—the time’s just flown by. Thank you for your kind feedback and support along the way! Here is a unique tale, by turns softly meditative, warmly comforting, and utterly terrifying—Brinton Turkle’s Do Not Open. Miss Moody dwells at the edge of the ocean with her cat, a foundling known as Captain Kidd. The day after a cataclysmic storm, she sets off down the beach in search of treasure and finds a bottle buried in the sand. Scratched on the dark purple vessel is the ominous message: “DO NOT OPEN”. Moved by a plaintive voice emerging from the bottle, Miss Moody pulls the stopper, and out pours the stuff of nightmares. An enormous smoke cloud trickles from the bottle, dissipating to reveal a colossal monster with glowing eyes and glistening fangs. Turkle’s chilling art elevates the scenario to a vignette of pure horror as the shapeshifting creature grows larger and more hideous with the turn of each page. His unflinching prose sets up the demonic entity not only as a direct foe for his protagonist but also as a threat to the entire human race. With a direct question to the reader (“Should she open the bottle?”) he prompts us to consider what we might do in Miss Moody’s place. The scratched warning, the disembodied voice—what clearer warning signs could one ask for? Surely, we may scoff, we would detect the danger and leave the bottle alone. However, we must never underestimate the all-consuming power of curiosity. May we all have the presence of mind Miss Moody displays in the face of danger...and may we all have such a devoted companion at our side as the trusty Captain Kidd. #cat #storm #ocean #sea #beach #bottle #creature #monster #demon #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks