Picture Book Friday

 

Cape by Kevin Johnson with illustrations by Kitt Thomas is a remarkably simple, but wonderfully thoughtful look at loss.

 

Johnson has crafted a moving narrative around a moment in a young boy’s life when a superhero’s cape, given to him by his father, becomes both his shield against the agony of his father’s funeral day and a shining light illuminating the real and wonderful moment’s they shared.

Johnson’s concise narrative uses minimal vocabulary, for the most part, a sentence or less per page. But his choice of language is so precise that he perfectly captures the big—almost unmanageable—emotions that overwhelm the child…until they don’t.

 Thomas’ bold use of red for the cape keeps the focus on the young protagonist, even when he’s portrayed as physically overwhelmed by crowds of mourners who are set apart in morose blues and blacks. His emotional struggles set loose an explosion of colors across the spectrum until they resolve at last into the warm glow of memories.

 “I remember.” Those two words sum up the heart of this honest story about losing a parent. Regardless of when that loss happens, there’s a tug-of-war that memories bring—between the pain of remembering better times and the comforting warmth found in happy recollections. That struggle and resolution is mirrored here making this an excellent read for anyone facing the death of a beloved family member or friend.

 Highly recommended—a moving  child-friendly introduction for a discussion of grief and loss.