From the author/illustrator of Pokko and the Drum is Matthew Forsythe’s latest book, Mina. I read it and was smitten with the beautiful, subtle color palette. And when I went to pull photos for my post, I was amused to bump into a few reviews from individuals who didn’t adore the story as much as I did.
What is funny about the critical opinions I read is that what they didn’t care for about the story is precisely what I liked about it ☺️(Hence proving the subjectivity of review opinions).
Mina’s father is notorious for bringing home unusual surprises. So many quirky curiosities in fact, that Mina has become impervious to them. Until one day he brings home a cat— Which he believes is a squirrel. More cats appear and in the end they chase and try to eat the mice. There are some subtle silli-nesses to the story that made me chuckle out loud and a darling little character who saves the day. I don’t want to spoil the surprise.
‘All in life is not always sunny and perfect’ is the message which I found endearing. Harkening back to old fashioned fairy tales that are a little bit dark and scary (I know, and some that are terribly horrifying!) feels refreshing and unexpected. It’s a story where adults are not always right just because they’re adults, and they don’t always save the day.
I enjoyed that Dad made a mistake. After all, parents are far from perfect.
And our world is full of danger and (unfortunately) there are cats that try to eat us.
Mina is a wonderful book to open up conversations with children about fear and trust. The illustrations are stunning and the book feels weighty, beautiful, and substantial.
And it made me giggle.
I hope you enjoy it.
This looks lovely! Thank you for sharing it.
Thank you for visiting Picture Book Builders and taking the time to comment, Elayne. Have a wonderful day!
One of my absolute faves this year!
I’m happy that you like the book, Julie!
Thank you, Jennifer, for sharing this intriguing book. i will defnitely put it on hold at my library.
I hope you enjoy it, Anne. Thank you for stopping by our blog today!
Thanks for the post! I enjoy Matthew Forsythe’s style and a little touch of ‘dark” in a PB. I will be checking this book out- on my list!
Wonderful, Mary! Thanks so much for visiting PBB!
Oh my gosh! I can’t take my eyes off this cover…Just imagine what’s inside!
I know, Kathy, aren’t those colors gorgeous? Thanks so much!
I love this book–and fairy tales. A bit of darkness can be lovely!
I agree with you, Lynn. Thank you so much for making the time to visit our blog and comment!
Count me in as a MINA fan!
Gotcha, Tammi. Me, too!
I love this book!!! So glad you featured it! It’s a great example of how illustration and text work together to tell a full story!
Thank you, Sue. It’s a beautiful book 💕
I recently read MINA and thought it was delightful fun! Thanks for highlighting it for PBB!
Hi Judy. I’m happy that you liked the book. Thank you so much for visiting Picture Book Builders!
This looks lovely. I’ll be checking it out. Thank you for shining a spotlight on it.
I love the cover art!
And regarding reviews… some folks weren’t so sure about Where The Wild Things Are, right? I look forward to reading MINA with curiosity and an open mind. It sounds a bit quirky and fun! Thanks, Jennifer, for reminding us that reviews are subjective. It is helpful for authors and illustrators to remember that when confronted with criticism of their stories and art.