Last August, a live video of children’s author Holly McGhee and illustrator Pascal Lemaitre showed the collaboration of the story Come With Me. In this sweet picture book, a little girl finds that, through T.V. or media, the world can be a place of hate and sadness. Instead of running away, the little girl enlists the help of her father and mother to make the world a better place. While displaying gestures of encouragement, kindness, and love, they show her how she can make a big difference in making an unkind world, kind. The little girl emulates her parent’s gestures passing kindness to others, which gives her the encouragement and confidence to face fear on her own.
Come With Me has a simply stated story style making a huge impact. McGhee and Lemaitre created an easy to follow read and without deep conversation, gets to the point. It communicates directly, quickly, and clearly that a child reader wouldn’t have time to lose interest. I like that it has the feel of an old picture book classic with a modernity message. Lemaitre added soft understated almost mono-toned watercolor drawings showing clarity while still giving a richness and conveying diversity in a busy city life. The uncomplicated pictures and the reduction of words are a wonderful marriage in a straightforward narrative and message: no matter how small, what we do can make a big difference.
Published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons. An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. (2017).
It is available at a variety of stores including Barnes & Noble.
Under a Paper Moon 