#900 of 1001 · January 17, 2023

The fate of planet Earth is a deep concern for us all, and the gravest predictions warn that we are headed for environmental catastrophe. What more sobering alarm call than to look back at the present from the perspective of an irreparably damaged future? Colin Thompson’s The Tower to the Sun allows us to do just that. The richest man in the world tells his grandson about the old days, the days before the atmosphere was choked by a thick, yellow smog. Wishing to see the sun in the clear blue sky, the boy suggests building a colossal tower. The old man pours his vast resources into the project, which drags on for decades—long enough for the grandson to grow up and have children of his own. Finally, the tower is complete. The top breaches the clouds, finally allowing the man and his family to glimpse the sun. In the solemn conclusion, the world’s entire population forms a line, all of them waiting to make the unfathomable climb. Thompson pairs the dire warning at the story’s core with his trademark detail-saturated art, stripping away the noise and clutter for the startlingly serene image of the clear blue sky. A point of interest: One illustration of the monumental structure is an unmistakable homage to Pieter Breugel the Elder’s painting The Tower of Babel. #tower #sun #earth #sky #build #building #grandfather #grandson #family #pollution #environment #book #books #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks