The Wanderer
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4.3 • 3 Ratings
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
Society of Illustrators, Dilys Evans Founder's Award Winner
A New York Times Best Book of 2020
A Wall Street Journal Best Book of 2020
PRAISE
"Electrifying. Extraordinary. Enigmatic and gorgeous." —The Wall Street Journal
"An epic dream captured in superbly meticulous detail." —Shaun Tan
"Danger, magic, surprise and awe abound in this masterly, wordless debut." —The New York Times
"I love Van den Ende's passion." —Brian Selznick, New York Times Book Review
STARRED REVIEWS
★ "Marvelously engrossing—a triumph." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ "Remarkable. Absolutely sui generis." —Booklist, starred review
Without a word, The Wanderer presents one little paper boat's journey across the ocean, past reefs and between icebergs, through schools of fish, swaying water plants, and terrifying sea monsters. The little boat is all alone, and while its aloneness gives it the chance to wonder at the fairy-tale world above and below the waves, that also means it must save itself when it storms. And so it does.
Readers young and old will find the strength and inspiration in this quietly powerful story about growing, learning, and life's ups and downs.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Dutch artist Van den Ende follows a mysterious paper boat on a surreal, at times oppressive-feeling journey across the world's oceans. Wordless, closely worked black-and-white spreads conjure an alternative Earth whose reefs hold strange life-forms. The paper boat it's as tall as a person (or are the people as small as the boat?) is folded and launched from a galleon by a fair-haired human and a horned, caped figure. On its voyage, the paper craft encounters monstrous sea creatures, icebergs, murky depths illuminated by sea life, and more. Approaching a drilling rig that pumps poison into the air, it takes a bullet while sea birds drop out of the sky, dead. The black caped figure and attendant bright-eyed creatures intervene. At last, the paper boat arrives at the harbor of a surreal port city, where a final reunion leaves still another mystery. Charged with a current of imaginative power, Van den Ende's artwork, like an Escher drawing leaning into oceanic and naval architecture, results in a 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea sensibility and an unsettling blend of warm nostalgia and chilly futurism. Ages 8 up.
