Review: My Hometown by Russell Griesmer

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Every town has a story. Experience small-town life and American history with this nearly wordless picture book. A magical newspaper takes a young boy on a journey through the history of a beloved hometown, from the 1860s to present day. Striking illustrations celebrate main-street Americana as the boy discovers the past and its importance.
For ages 6-8.
*Nostalgia for adults, and a history lesson for children*Wordless picture book format supports and encourages storytelling and writing in young readers*For much of the book, the background of the art features the evolving main street of the town, allowing readers to observe changes to architecture and culture through history

MY TAKE:
This book was even better than I thought it would be!

In My Hometown, a young boy gets to his hometown as it was from the old days until the present, thanks to a magical newspaper.

I really liked this book. There was something about it that made me think of Pixar films, particularly their lovely short films. It also reminded me a bit of those projects that juxtaposed old photographs of places with what they look like now. I'm a fan of those projects, as I love seeing what places looked like back then and seeing how much has changed over the years. I kinda wish someone would do a book like this featuring my country, or different countries, for that matter. I think a lot of people would be interested in those, especially if there were, say, two editions, an illustrated one for kids and another version for adults.

Since this is a mostly wordless book, the story relies solely on the images. It can be tricky to pull this off, but I didn't have any trouble understanding and differentiating at all. The different eras used different tones, such as black and white, and sepia, so you know right away that you're now in a different era, even if you still haven't noticed the little details that tell you what era is being shown.

Thanks to NetGalley and Capstone Young Readers for the e-ARC.

THE GOOD:

1. The illustrations are pretty.
2. It's a fun way to get kids interested in their town's history.
3. It will appeal to kids and adults alike. 

THE BAD:

1. It will make you wish you could read your hometown's version of this book right away.

READ IT IF:

1. You're looking for a book you can enjoy with your young children.
2. You are fascinated by history, especially your town's history.
3. You like whimsical children's picture books. 

RATING:


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