A DOOR IS TO OPEN

Gateways of every possible shape, color, and use abound in this ode to the spirit of children’s book author Ruth Krauss.

“A door is to open,” an unseen narrator tells us as a child invites in a cat and its kittens, their eyes wide open and aware. So begins an explanation of the many types and myriad functions of these everyday passages. Some doors are ideal for games like knocking and then hiding or for spinning around in, as with a revolving door. Doors can be transparent, but they can also hide you away. They are mysteries; some evoke strong feelings when you don’t know what you’ll encounter on the other side (like on the first day of school). Of course, there are also doorways in nature and those of a more metaphysical or philosophical nature. Ultimately, young readers are encouraged to make doors of their own. Morstad’s illustrations, depicting black-eyed children in an array of abilities and skin tones, complement this heady cacophony of concepts. A clear homage to Krauss and Maurice Sendak’s classic A Hole Is To Dig, Maclear’s text is open-ended in its praise for its subject, giving Morstad full rein to unleash her creative powers, and she obliges, filling pages with everything from unicorns to rainbow-striped mystery tunnels. In the end, perhaps the lesson is that a door is simply what one makes of it.

Whimsical, wonderful, and altogether magical. A doorway to doorways and beyond.