“There Was a Shadow” teaches children the gift of shadow's fleeting beauty and subtle joy. From dawn to dreamtime, this book depicts the life of a country girl, written with timeless charm reminiscent of Robert McCloskey's Caldecott Medal-winning “Time of Wonder.”
As the reader follows the girl through the rolling landscape, they encounter the shadows of hills and insects, and the “moving, dancing, frolicking shadows” of her friends. Each new shadow is introduced with the repeated title “There was a shadow.” Some shadows are solid, like the comforting shade of a stately tree canopy at midday; others are like a “faintly rippling” play of light.
It's not just a physical shadow that appears.
“There was a shadow.
It was a thinking shadow.
A shadow that you can feel but cannot see.
“I was worried.
“But like the shadow of a bird,
A shadow of worry leapt out.
It flickered and then it was gone.”
Some authors and illustrators seem to have an uncanny ability to recall the sense of mystery they felt as children. Author Bruce Handy and illustrator Riske Fenn are definitely two of them. Handy's first children's book, The Happiness of a Dog with a Ball in its Mouth, was named Best Children's Book of 2021 by The New York Times. Fenn's illustrations have won awards such as the Society of Illustrators Silver Medal, the Communication Arts Excellence Award, and the 3X3 Silver Medal.
This book is perfect for readers ages 5 to 7, but its atmosphere and celebration of life will have us coming back to it again and again. I hope you get a copy too.
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