In Faye Hanson‘s next utterly magical offering, we meet Max and Mia. ‘Midnight At The Zoo‘ sees our duo prepare for an epic adventure in true Faye Hanson detailed styling.
An excitable pair set off on a school trip to the zoo. But imagine their surprise when they arrive at their destination with plans of seeing flamingos, red pandas, lions, monkeys and meerkats and there’s not an animal in sight.
Not one!
But when the visit comes to end for all of the other children, Max and Mia find themselves left behind, locked in, alone in the zoo. Luckily Max and Mia are prepared and plan for almost every eventuality.
What they hadn’t planned for is a total transformation of the zoo. When the clock strikes midnight and no-one else is looking, the animals come to life in a surreal and sensational way.
Flamingos do the flamenco, pandas prance and the lions and tigers literally have a ball in their keep.
Faye’s illustrations hold minute detail and are packed with such depth and warmth. Her choices of palette are integral to the success of her spreads and we adore her style. Her spreads are complete works of art and unlike any other artist out there.
The cross-section between daylight and darkness adds to the dramatic backdrop of this story and provides another dimension to the commentary.
Look out for the wealth of detail lurking in the shadows and the subtle but fundamental tonal changes throughout the book.
If you haven’t seen Hanson’s debut picture book ‘The Wonder‘, you really must. We weren’t sure how Faye could surpass her first offering but this is utterly compelling in story line and visual narrative. Another sure-fire winner!
