An imaginative fantasy that gives readers plenty of room to roam.
Cornelia and the Jungle Machine
A picture book that takes the young reader into the jungle and immerses them in a filmic universe of mechanical wonders.
Written by Nora Brech
Translated by Don Bartlett
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Description
Cornelia and her parents move in to a new house. Bored, she is sent to play outside. She discovers a hidden treehouse and a boy her own age…
“Do you really live here all alone?” she asks.
“No, I live here with my inventions. Come and take a look.”
Inside Cornelia is introduced to a magical machine. A jungle machine!Nora Brech’s gothic illustrations are packed with imaginative details and perspectives. Her pictures play with references to classical children’s literature, and the book’s large format is fully utilized when Cornelia climbs up the tall trees. Through an extreme wide-angle lens, the reader is sucked in to a powerfully detailed world.
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Book Details
Country of Origin Norway Reader Age 5-7 year, 6-8 year Book Size ISBN
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Reviews
Available worldwide from your local bookstore or online.
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BYU Children’s Book & Media Review –
Excellent. The value of this book lies in its visual artistry…succinct text lays a sparse landscape for the Gothic style illustrations to fill and inspire inference and imagination. Detailed spreads capture the reader’s attention and encourage fantastical exaggerations. Savvy readers will decipher that the adventures are a daydream, but everyone will be entranced with the oversized treehouses, ladders, slides, and brilliantly plumed giant birds.
Kiss the Book Jr. –
Brech’s brilliant illustrations are the best part – told mostly through the pictures (with a bit of dialogue thrown in to help advance the story) it’s a world easy to get lost in.
Otago Daily Times –
With several wordless spreads featuring detailed pen, ink and watercolour illustrations, this is a book to pore over. The story is spare, but touches on big childhood themes of friendship, confronting change and the power of imagination.
Swings and Roundabouts –
A powerfully detailed fantasy world of mechanical wonders and wonder…that celebrates imagination and perfect for all the dreamers out there.
Orange Marmalade –
Inventive, fanciful, splendiferous illustrations, largely wordless, parade through the pages inviting us to linger and dream. A superb fantasy for ages 4 and up.
My Shelves are Full –
I adore [Cornelia and the Jungle Machine], the sense of adventure…and the sublime illustrations.
Red Reading Hub –
This gothic style fantasy unfolds in little over a hundred words of dialogue and intricately detailed sequences of Edward Gorey-like illustrated spreads showing Cornelia’s magical mystery experiences that will draw in readers, helping to ensure that like the girl, they will be eager to immerse themselves in the make believe world of the imagination.
Youth Services Book Review –
This large and elegant picture book is dense with Edward Gorey-esque drawings in watercolor and pen & ink that really grab and hold the viewer.
Kirkus Reviews –
The pictures are intricately lined and rich with detail. Expansive images push beyond their edges to make grand use of the tall, rectangular trim. An imaginative fantasy that gives readers plenty of room to roam.