Wonderstruck - Brian Selznick

I was first introduced to Brian Selznick's work when I read "The Invention of Hugo Cabret"...a part graphic novel, part written story about an orphan living in 1930's Paris, exploring the magic of old movies and an automaton.  Even though the book was written for 9 year olds, it captured my imagination and made me feel like a kid.  That is the beauty of Selznick...he brings a child-like delight to his work.

When I heard he had a new book coming out in the same type of format, I really didn't care what it was about.  I knew I had to have it.  Never mind that Scholastic protected copies of this book at SIBA like the freaking Crown Jewels.  I discovered a tiny little indie bookstore in the small town of Apalachicola, FL over Thanksgiving, and begged my husband to buy this book for me.  I read it that very night.

Synopsis:  Born deaf in one ear, Ben has always wondered about his father.  His mother won't talk about him, and becomes sad when Ben approaches the subject.  When Ben's mother dies, Ben finds a clue about his missing father, and is immediately struck deaf in his other ear by a lightning strike.  Despite his disability, he sets out for New York City to find him.

In a separate storyline 50 years earlier, we meet Rose, who is a deaf girl obsessed with scrapbooking pictures of a glamorous actress, and sets off into New York City to find her.

Across the decades, Ben and Rose are pulled together by their deafness, and the hidden treasures in the American Museum of Natural History.  As Ben and Rose navigate through a hearing world, they discover secrets about the museum, themselves, and each other.

 

My thoughts:  Selznick has done it once again.  With a childish wonder, he stumbles onto topics or places, in this case the Deaf and the American Museum of Natural History, and he weaves that into a magical story that will entrance people of all ages. 

I'm not an art critic, so it is hard for me to verbalize how his illustrations mesmerize.  I think it is the facial expressions that do it.  He captures the glint of an eye, the lift of an eyebrow, or the hint of a smile that tells a story all on its own. 

Like Hugo, when you see this book, you will probably gasp at its phone book-ish size.  Don't let that bother you...I read this book in three or four hours, all the while smiling at how it made me feel. 

I never thought Selznick would be able to match Hugo, but he has.  Just like its title, "Wonderstruck" is indeed a wonder.

5 out of 5 stars