#366 of 1001 · August 1, 2021

Today is a personal milestone: this is my three hundred sixty-fifth book review. That’s right; I’ve been at this, once a day, for an entire year. I can’t thank you all enough for reading along with me! Every time you Follow my account, every time you Like one of my posts, every time you leave an encouraging comment, you’re bringing a smile to my face. Thank you all so very much. To round out my first full year of book reviews, here’s a work that deserves to be hailed as a modern classic: Hungry Jim by @ohmylorelei and @c.groenink. Have you ever woken up on the wrong side of the bed? One morning, young Jim opens his eyes and discovers that he has somehow become a lion. His monstrous appetite provokes him to devour a long succession of characters, beginning with his own mother downstairs in the kitchen and ending with a bear out in the wilderness. Jim finally tames his beastly impulses, regurgitates all those he has consumed, and transforms back into a boy. However, with the bear still standing menacingly before him…he eats it again. Snyder dances masterfully back and forth between the literal and the figurative: has Jim truly undergone some strange magical transformation? Or are we experiencing his imagination as a visual metaphor for a child succumbing to his powerful emotions? In Jim’s frustrated inner monologue, Snyder bravely incorporates raw, powerful phrases such as, “Shut up,” and “I hate you,” language often forbidden in modern picture books but absolutely vital to the construction of her protagonist’s voice. With a mix of pencil and digital technique, Groenink employs detailed line art and a warm color palette to create a landscape of ferocious beauty. In a tender closing note, both author and artist dedicate their work to their spiritual influence: Maurice Sendak. #hungry #lion #mother #bear #feelings #emotion #emotions #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks