Sector 7
There hasn’t been a ray of sunshine for the last 7 days. Heavy clouds have been looming overhead for days and the continuous downpour just adds to the misery. Keep reading…
Needing something to lift my spirits I pulled Sector 7 off my bookshelf. David Wiesner has an amazing ability to lift your spirits and infuse you with a sense of wonder. Like many of his other books, Sector 7 is a wordless picture book that pushes the boundaries of your imagination. What looks like an ordinary school trip to the Empire State Building, becomes a one-in-a-lifetime experience. Befriending a cloud, a boy is whisked away to Sector 7. Clouds gather at this depot waiting for their next weather assignment. Stuck in groove, the clouds, bored with their assigned shapes, asks the boy for help. With a bit of imagination the skies over New York City are soon filled with clouds shaped like fantastic sea creatures.
No two clouds are the same; each has their own personality. Using watercolour, Wiesner is able to capture the airy appearances, without making the clouds look solid. The colours are subdued, giving you the feeling of stepping into a fog. To help guide you through this you just follow the boy’s red hat, scarf and mittens; clever technique of giving readers a hint of direction through a wordless picture book.
It is always a privilege to be granted exclusive access to the magical inner workings of David Wiesner’s world and be reminded of childhood memories; long summers lying on the grass staring at the sky, watching dragons and submarines float by.
Sector 7, a children’s book review by Thao Lam
Author and Illustrator David Wiesner
It’s not news that I am a big fan of David Wiesner. I have a collection of his work on my bookshelf. David Wiesner has been previously profiled on B is for Books numerous times; The Three Pigs and Tuesday. I have been patiently waiting for David Wiesner to release his next book, for updates on this super duper talented author and illustrator check out his website www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com
Publisher Clarion Books; 1st ed edition (September 20, 1999)
ISBN-10 0395746566
ISBN-13 978-0395746561