The cover of The Boy and the Wild Blue Girl did not look appealing to me. I was not in the mood for a “wild child” and the antics that makes one assume. However, Keith Negley made a picture book that I am truly impressed with. If I have one issue it is that the theme of the girl becoming a special metaphor, might be lost on the child reading crowd.
This metaphor, if told, tells the whole story. But I can say that the Blue Girl would shape the young narrator of the story in ways unimaginable. The art of the narrator and girl is created in mixed medias. This art is not for everyone as you can see the print of the paper used in some places. Seeing text that is not part of the story/to be read can take you out of the story. However, this different look could make it a great gift for the adult artist in your life.
This book’s story is how the community is not a fan of the Blue Girl, but the narrator sees her potential. He knows that he can make the others see how special and wonderful she is and can be. Negley mixes art, fantasy and science together to make a book that is fiction but is also based on the life of scientist Poul la Cour and how he helped with the invention of wind turbines.
Perfect for Earth Day or any day reading, this book is one that most people should find something in it to love.