I Am Smoke
Smoke speaks in mesmerizing riddles: "I lack a mouth, but I can speak.... I lack hands, but I can push out unwanted guests.... I'm gentler than a feather, but I can cause harm...". This rhythmically powerful narration is complemented by illustrations in which swirling smoke was captured on art paper held over smoky candle flames, and the dancing smoke textures were then deepened and elaborated with watercolors and Photoshop finishes. With this unique method, Merce López "let the smoke decide how the idea I had in mind would dance with it, giving freedom to the images."
The resulting illustrations are astounding, and they resonate with the otherworldly text.
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Why it's unconventional: The illustrations in this book violate what I thought was a hard and fast rule of art: Don't Burn the Art. Merce Lopez Ascanoio throws this out the window, holding paper over lit candles to create the smoke elements in this story about the importance of fire and smoke to humankind. Oh, and did I mention smoke is the narrator? An unconventional stand out.--Travis Jonker "SLJ" (7/13/2021 12:00:00 AM)
Lustrous illustrations and meditative text reflect on the role of smoke in nature and civilization. Within this exquisitely beautiful melding of science and poetry is a ton of trust: trust that readers will absorb the intricate, evocative prose; trust they will utilize the comprehensive backmatter; and trust that readers will reconsider something as ubiquitous as smoke afresh. Smoke dissipates quickly, but this poetic text will linger.-- "Kirkus STARRED REVIEW" (7/14/2021 12:00:00 AM)
5 STARS. Lopez's illustrations are haunting and creative, achieving a unique form of smoke impressions by suspending art paper over candle flames and then finishing the images using watercolors and Photoshop. It is a beautiful book that gives smoke a voice, one that is both playful and devious.--Bobbie Peyton "Seattle Book Review" (9/18/2021 12:00:00 AM)
I'm excited to recommend this new nonfiction picture book. Rather than adopting a persuasive tone, this remarkable book assumes that readers will be both curious and surprised by positive attributes of something as ubiquitous, and often ominous, as SMOKE... Lyrical text empowers SMOKE as a character, making it the first person narrator of its own story. That voice reclaims credit for the many ways SMOKE offers benefits to mind, body, soul, and nature while admitting that those benefits contradict more common negative smoke associations that dominate our collective consciousness...The fluid, translucent, and nearly hypnotic qualities of smoke are captured effectively with few words, directly addressing the reader, and ensnare our attention...The added benefit to this already outstanding picture book for many ages is that several pages of back matter provide brief but thorough explanations of each declaration SMOKE makes within the main text...This is one book you may loan, but will want to replace when it somehow is not returned. I am not alone in singing its praises, and I'm guessing that you'll join the chorus once you have a close look and read.
--Sandy Brehl "Unpacking the Power of Picture Books" (9/20/2021 12:00:00 AM)
