It’s next on my to-read pile, and I’ll be writing a review of it for the book’s release on September 15. It’s his most ambitious book, and I think it will be his most beautiful. Who needs diamonds with a treasure like this? Photo by Jackie Reeve. He signed some ARCs of the book, and he also had a surprise for us: small versions of the book’s illustrations put together from all of those thumbnails. He explained that there were hundreds more illustrations, followed by 200 pages of written text. Those are small-version illustrations on the screen. Which is, in itself, the most incredible thing to see.
He showed us the thumbnail drawings he did for the book before moving on to the full-size illustrations. Selznick walked us through his process, including photos from the 3 months he and his husband lived in London doing research for this book. He showed us the first 60 or so pages, all illustrations, which had the entire audience at New York City’s Hudson Theatre in tears. Selznick gave an emotional presentation on his inspirations for the book (including the splendid Dennis Severs’ House). The Marvels is about several generations in a family of London actors, and it is also about a house.
Selznick’s last book ( Wonderstruck), and I couldn’t wait. So when Scholastic invited me to a special preview of his newest illustrated novel, The Marvels, it was like being asked to prom. His work speaks to me dearly, and I love sharing it with kids. Martin’s The Doll Peopleseries or Andrew Clements’ Frindleand excitedly show me who the illustrator was. Sometimes my students rush up to me with the library’s copies of Ann M. I keep an eye out for The Robot Kingin every used bookstore (somehow discovering it seems more appropriate than buying it used from Amazon). I’ve read The Houdini Boxand The Boy of a Thousand Facesto various classes. I’ve given Wonderstruckas a gift, to friends and students. I’ve read it to every third grade class I’ve taught since it was published in 2007. In my library classes, reading about Hugo and his automaton is a rite of passage. If you and your kids haven’t read The Invention of Hugo Cabret or Wonderstruck, stop what you’re doing immediately and head to the library.
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