8 August 2017 LIFE by Cynthia Rylant and Brendan Wenzel, ill., Simon & Schuster/Beach Lane Books, June 2017, 48p., ISBN; 978-1-4814-5162-8

“Life is change

How it differs from the rocks

I’ve seen their ways too often for my liking.

New worlds to gain

My life is to survive

And be alive

For you”

-- Paul Kantner, “Crown of Creation” (1968)

“Life is not always easy.

There will probably be a stretch of wilderness now and then.

But wilderness eventually ends.

And there is always a new road to take.”

Life is amazing and special. So is LIFE, a breathtakingly beautiful picture book collaboration between a pair of award-winning children’s book author/illustrators of two generations. After reading and re-reading this celebration of existence, I’m still not sure whether I’m more blown away by Rylant’s words or by Wenzel’s pictures.

Life is precious and challenging and miraculous. As this story shows us, life begins small, and grows. LIFE is built around expressive animal characters, many of whom will crack you up. There is only one spread, featuring domesticated pets, in which we catch a peripheral glimpse of humanity’s footprint.

“...Everything is changing.

And it is worth

waking up in the morning

to see what might happen.”

LIFE will be an entertaining read aloud for young audiences. But it may be even more meaningful to any number of perplexed tweens and teens who are trying to decipher this thing called life. Rylant and Wenzel strike a perfect balance here in their presentation of an engaging picture book tale featuring significant philosophical depth.

Richie Partington, MLIS

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