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Book Love

 Great characters make a story.


"Tim All Alone," a famous picture book, has little Tim returning home from a sea voyage. But his parents are gone! The house is empty; a sign says, "For Rent." A nightmare begins.

Tim--convinced that his family is alive--returns to the high seas for a search mission. A benevolent captain gives him jobs, so that he is "too busy to feel sad." But the ship explodes; a matron briefly kidnaps Tim; a new, mean captain treats Tim as an enslaved person. At his lowest point, Tim finds comfort in the company of a small black cat.

This book is a bit old-fashioned; the writer doesn't hesitate to point out that good things grow from Tim's courtesy and pluckiness. I don't mind the homily. I'm just a fan of the twists and turns, and a fan of the lively illustrations.

Edward Ardizzone wrote, and wrote, and wrote--and drew and drew--and he counted Maurice Sendak among his many admirers.









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