The Amazing Collection of Joey Cornell by Candace Fleming - OPTIONAL

The Amazing Collection of Joey Cornell by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Gerard Dubois.  NON-FICTION/PICTURE BOOK Schwartz and Wade (Penguin), 2018.  $18.  9780399552380  

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) – OPTIONAL  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW  

Joey always collects things.  If they interest him at all he likes to put them in his barn and over time his collection grows.  When Joey is thirteen his father passes away and Joey is overwhelmed by his own sadness and his family’s sadness.  In an attempt to brighten everyone’s moods, Joey takes his collection and puts together odd assortments into boxes, making a museum.  His family loves his creative ideas and as Joey grows older he continues to put his pieces together and becomes a well-known artist as an adult.  

I liked Joey's way of thinking outside the box that resulted in his very unique and whimsical art form.  I like that his collecting could be enjoyed by others because of his creations.  My biggest turn off with this book is the illustrations because they are muted, at times blurry and remind me of the Run Dick, Run Jane books from the seventies.  Even if a child was interested in the story, I’m not sure they would pick the book up to read it because the pictures are unappealing.  

C. Peterson