RE-ZOOM

This wordless follow-up to Zoom (p. 220) cannot rightly be called a sequel, since there is no storyline. But it is strikingly similar to its predecessor in style, concept, and design; only the subject matter, its least important component, has changed. Like Chinese boxes in reverse, each colorful illustration is revealed as part of a larger artwork. Thus a scene of a movie director riding an Indian elephant proves to be a decoration on a steamer trunk, which is only part of an artist's painting, etc. More than a gimmick, the technique offers a fresh perspective on how art orders and gives value to what we see. There's a delightful surprise each time the ""plot"" takes a sharp turn into a new locale. The perspective shifts are slightly more complex here than in Zoom, and the pace is a bit awkward; younger readers might orient themselves with the first book before getting acquainted with this one. Banyai's artwork is eye-grabbing but emotionally cool--a combination that works to perfection in this particular book.