Picture Books: I is for Inhabitant of Maine: Dahlov Ipcar

Since I am (now) a Mainer, it felt appropriate to review Mainer Dahlov Ipcar's Lobsterman.

The illustration falls into the category of what I refer to as "beautiful pauses" rather than "motion." "Beautiful pauses" are entirely respectable as an art-form. For one, motion is tremendously difficult to capture. For another, beautiful pauses can be quite evocative. They capture a moment of stillness, beauty, early morning calm.

Lobsterman likewise falls into the category of picture books that are more about a moment in time rather than a story. Not that there isn't an underlying narrative arc (the boy and his father go out to catch lobsters and return). But the emphasis is on lifestyle and living: the human experience. Although I generally prefer story to all else, many of the highlighted picture books in this list fall into this category.