FIND THE SUN

A young boy finds a way to face his fears.

Brown-haired, olive-skinned Eddie hates Mondays. He worriedly watches a rainstorm through the window and crawls back into bed with his stuffed yellow bunny. When he opens his eyes again, his bed is gone (an indicator he’s dipped into a dreamscape), but the rain remains (“the sky growled…the air rumbled, low and loud”), and his body reacts in kind: “His tummy twisted. His eyes stung.” Soon, his rabbit appears, larger than life, encouraging Eddie to come along to “find the sun.” A magnificent journey begins as the pair swoop through storm clouds, float down a sparkling river, and head into a “deep and dark” cave. Eddie is scared, but Rabbit assures him that “It’s only in the darkest of dark…that we shine the brightest.” The cave contains shimmering stars, a magnificent moon, and a beautiful garden maze at the river’s end. By moving through fear with a comforting companion beside him, Eddie finds himself ready to face the day. Harkness’ prose has a careful, reflective cadence, but as in previous work, his illustration technique takes center stage—digitally rendered sculpture with the tremendously tactile appeal of molding clay. Color selections set the mood—stormy blue-blacks give way to calmer azure hues and creamy clouds before finally shifting into rich, exultant greens.

A visually engrossing representation of feelings in flux.