Birdsong: A Story in Pictures

In this complex wordless narrative inspired by kamishibai (Japanese paper theater), a pair of children are transformed into monkeys by an angry mountain wizard after they terrorize forest wildlife. For much of the book, only the recto pages feature narrative images, leaving the verso pages blank and inviting readers to create their own words. A brief history of kamishibai is appended. Reading list, websites.

Sturm (Adventures in Cartooning) delivers a complex wordless narrative inspired by kamishibai, Japanese paper theater. The first two images are double-page spreads, the first featuring a single red bird in flight above a far-off mountain, while in the second, a pair of stick-wielding children maraud through a lakeside forest. From this point forward (save the final spread) only the recto pages of the book feature narrative images, leaving the verso pages essentially blank (excluding pagination and a series of decorative tree branches). This poetic employment of white space reminds readers that there are no words here -- create your own, and thus actively provides a call for discourse. The plot unfolds quickly when the two children, after terrorizing the local wildlife (including the aforementioned red bird), are transformed into monkeys by an angry mountain wizard. They are chased by a tiger, captured by medieval-looking huntsmen, and forced to perform in a fleabag traveling circus; finally, they return to the forest to start anew -- with one transformation, perhaps, left to complete. While the book is skillfully hand-inked and emotively colored, some readers may be unsettled by the malleable narrative style and the ambiguous conclusion; others may revel in the unknown. Back matter includes a brief history of kamishibai, an author's note, and a list of further resources. patrick gall