Review Detail

After the success of their first book Coolhead Luke and other Stories, the Whites bring us another collection of humorous verse and quirky illustrations in On the Edge with Coolhead Luke. 

Whimsy meets wisdom in these short poems -   The Face of Time and The Metta Four, for instance, are gently didactic, while Misguided Fish Wish wryly describes a pets leap towards freedom.  Spike Speaks is a sweet ode to the friendship  between a little boy and a pet straight out of an Edward Gorey drawing, while Invitation to a Ghoulfest is deliciously creepy, with a neat twist at the end.  Each poem brings us novel characters look how the rather somber-sounding Why ends, for instance, or at the object of a little aliens affections in Love at First Sight! 

Ms. Whites verses explore a range of poetic and literary devices, each further explained in a very useful glossary at the end of the book. The layout is pleasantly minimalistic, with spare black and white drawings from talented young Colin, and is an effective complement to Ms. Whites playful verse.
  
A visual and aural treat for every reader, young and old.


Lavanya Karthik - BookPleasures.com