Invisible Things

May 8, 2023
Beginning with the senses and making their way into the feels, Pizza and Miller aim to help readers “SEE THE INVISIBLE” in a picture book that doubles as a body-scan meditation. After inviting readers to “pick up your invisible ‘invisible things’ spotting glasses,” the creators kick off a tour of “ways we can experience and interact with the world.” Among the physically discernible concepts detailed are sounds, smells, tastes, and touch-related sensations. In energetic, meandering prose, the next pages explore internal and external feelings and moods (“The mood of a place is called a VIBE!”), working up to a chart that names feelings such as gratitude, melancholy, and “the blahs.” Throughout, shape-based multimedia illustrations pop atop white backgrounds. On one spread, a series of concentric circles with googly eyes forms an echo; on others, figures with varying skin tones are seen working through interoceptive observations. Concluding with a mention of the grounding that awareness can bring, the creators remind readers to “look with more than your eyes!” Ages 5–8.

May 15, 2023
A field guide of sorts to the intangibles of life. Encapsulating the old saying "The important things in life aren't things," Pizza and Miller shepherd readers through visual representations of and reflections on emotions, sensory experiences, and concepts. First, opening endpapers direct readers to put on a pair of "invisible 'invisible things' spotting glasses." Rather than plunging right into the representation of abstract emotions like fear, gratitude, or love, the text starts with the senses (apart from sight) that help us experience and navigate the world. No mention is made of people with sensory disabilities as the book examines sounds, smells, tastes, and touch, all with cartoon-style representations that would fit right in with the Little Miss and Mr. Men books. Next come more complex concepts and emotions, also visualized on the page. Direct address, humor, and text that prompts readers to answer questions and reflect on their own feelings and perceptions combine with the art to encourage engagement. The resulting interactive nature of the book may make it best suited to one-on-one or small-group readings rather than large-group storytimes, but no matter how this book is shared, it is sure to spark conversation. Human characters depicted are diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Make sure you see this playful, wise title. (Picture book. 4-10)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from June 1, 2023
Grades K-2 *Starred Review* This charming, inventive primer from partners Pizza (A Pizza with Everything on It, 2021) and Miller invites young readers to put on a pair of ""invisible 'invisible thing'-spotting glasses"" and take a gander at the various intangible sensations they experience on the regular. It kicks off with the big five (touch, hear, taste, smell, see) before going more abstract into feelings (joy, hope, gratitude) and moods (cleverly connected to the concept of place through the concept of vibes), and then things get properly weird, introducing the ""cool and kinda strange"" (heebie-jeebies, chaos, nostalgia)--and beyond. Spreads typically involve a chart of little spot-art representations of each subject, boiling the abstract down into colorful, ingeniously simple little thumbnuggets. There's no single form for the many presentations, and in this the otherwise brilliant book falters; there's so much covered here, in so many ways, that the vibe can be a little overwhelming at times (which the book even acknowledges). Some pages are interactive; some are informative; some are full-bleed chaos, some are neatly gridded. Some items (like dark matter) beg for more space to be explored. Regardless, this book will serve as a great tool for little ones to begin paying attention to their busy inner selves. In a one-on-one setting, it will serve as a launchpad for 100 thoughtful conversations--and it will never be dull.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.