Triangle s/c back

Jon Klassen eyes are unmistakable and ever so expressive.

They either stare directly at you, poker-faced, with an alien intelligence and unknowable thoughts or they slide hither and thither, assessing the situation, attempting to keep their own counsel but often betraying a truth.

Or a lie.

They allow the rest of his faces to perform not at all, enhancing the deadpan delivery while ramping up the comedy quotient, for there lies much mirth in repetition.

You may know Jon Klassen, as the co-creator of all-ages SAM & DAVE DIG A HOLE etc and the sole creator of the I WANT MY HAT BACK, THIS IS NOT MY HAT and WE FOUND A HAT tricks, all of which you can find in Page 45's Jon Klassen section within Young Readers.

And they are all tricks in one form or other, the images informing the true meaning or contradicting what is written outright. This, I argue - in each review and possibly to deep sighs of "Do shut up, Stephen!" - makes them comics, for without the visual narrative they would mean a lot less or nothing at all.

This is not a comic.

That doesn't matter: illustrated prose is a wonder as well and the visuals are still delicious. I'm sure there will be gurgles and chortles throughout from very young readers and this is what we want!

But whenever I write "all-ages" I do so deliberately, meaning that the books are likely to be enjoyed equally by oldsters and even, like HILDA, bought as often as not by adults for adults. I adore every one of the above. Absolutely adore!

This one didn't do it for me, I'm afraid. With no mid-story gags to speak of, I was anticipating a ferociously funny punchline. Sad to say, I'm still waiting.

"Heresy!" etc. I know!

Triangle travels to play a sneaky trick on Square. I'm sure it'll enhance spatial awareness no end.

Try SQUARE instead - it's fiendishly clever.