Mattland

Description

Matt is miserable. The subdivision where he now lives is surrounded by nothing but muddy fields of rocks and sticks. But when Matt ventures out, his imagination kicks in. He draws a muddy, winding line and names it Snake River. A pile of rocks becomes the Dog Tooth Mountains. Just like that, Mattland is born. Soon a little girl shows up with a handful of helpful odds and ends. Piece by piece, she and Matt expand their new world with popsicle-stick bridges and scrap-paper boats. And when a rainstorm finally threatens to wash everything away, all the neighborhood kids appear and help stave off the flood. Evocative of childhood friendships and with sublime illustrations that brighten in color as the story progresses, Mattland is an inspiring ode to cooperative play.

Hazel Hutchins has written dozens of books for children and has won numerous awards, including "Parenting" magazine's Reading Magic Award. She lives in Canmore, Alberta. Gail Herbert is the award-winning author of several short stories and poems. This is her first work for children. She lives outside of Toronto. Dusan Petricic's multiple award-winning illustrations appear in more than 20 children's books, including "Bashful Bob and Doleful Dorinda" by Margaret Atwood. He lives in Toronto.

"Mattland" is successful on all fronts... Described in spare yet evocative prose, Matt's world grows as he finds new things: a piece of tin becomes a barn; fuzzy seeds become sheep... Illustrator Dusan Petricic (who has dedicated the book to "all displaced children") has made each picture only from Matt's point of view; we see only what Matt sees. And by the end of the book, we understand what it means to him to have created "Mattland" -- he's created a home, so he can feel at home.--Barbara Feinberg"The New York Times" (11/09/2008) [starred review] Eloquent and beautifully illustrated... Petric's understated watercolors are an essential counterpart to Hutchins and Herbert's mature narrative, revealing the promise of new friendships before Matt himself realizes that he is no longer alone. The closing spread of his reflection in "Turtle Lake," surrounded by other children, is a standout.... Mattland has much to offer those who find themselves in a new place, and to creative souls needing inspiration.--Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI"School Library Journal" (06/01/2008) Matt, lonely and disappointed with the gray, soggy landscape that surrounds his most recent abode, picks up a stick and begins to draw in the mud, eventually creating an entire imaginary world that he terms Mattland. Sparse prose and skillful illustrations that become more colorful as Matt's world evolves highlight this Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award winner and will give young readers a sense of the experience of displacement.--Kay Weisman"Booklist" (01/10/2010) Winner, Marillyn Baillie Picture Book Award Winner, Marillyn Baillie Picture Book Award This beautiful picture book captures a small event in a lonely child's life so exquisitely that it takes your breath away... The plot is simple--Matt has no friends in his new neighbourhood, so he begins to draw in the mud outside his home in what looks to be a new subdivision under construction. Soon he has drawn Snake River and Turtle Lake and he creates "Mattland" out of whatever materials come to hand. Without fanfare or comment, another child shows up and hands Matt a popsicle stick. She returns to add more bits and pieces to the landscape, and then when the rains come and threaten to obliterate the increasingly complex Mattland, many hands appear to build dikes and canals to divert the flood. When the sun breaks through, a ring of smiling faces is reflected in Turtle Lake... There's a message here about not needing endless electronic devices in order to have fun, but the ease of connection with other people over a common project is the most valuable lesson illustrated by this story. I love the sparse text and the unique perspective of the images...This is a great book...for talking about feeling...like an outsider. Mattland has much to offer those who find themselves in a new place, and to creative souls needing inspiration.--Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI"School Library Journal" (06/01/2008) Sparse prose and skillful illustrations that become more colorful... will give young readers a sense of the experience of displacement.--Kay Weisman"Booklist" (01/10/2010)