Back in February 2023 a book called Sasha & the City of Whispers came out. I did not learn of it until May 2023 when a customer ordered a copy. Finding a readable copy, I read this picture book by Sara Van Horn. Now, the surface story is okay. A girl called Sasha, learns she is not good at doing the tasks her community are tasked with doing. You must always work, work and work. No time for anything else. Their town is loud, no quiet, no color, nothing but work. And of course, Sasha feels there is more and accidentally finds it.
But there is a deeper meaning, too. The idea of stopping and smelling the roses, seeing the colors, calming the noise once in a while is there. Being a neighbor is also part of the theme. And the ecological message is front and center as well. It is a short book, not a lot of text, but a lot of busy and chaotic images.
Even when we get to the “softer” parts of things, it is still busy, but less dark, and obviously more colorful.
That color for the images comes from Altai Almor. The images are not my personal tastes. Yet, I enjoyed them for this book. They fit well into the story and allow the message the author wants to come through. It has a European feeling to it, but both author and illustrator are from the states. Or you could think this book is from the 1960s and not 2023. Sometimes they can be unpleasant looking, but they are a personal taste kind of illustration collection.
