The newly orphaned Ben is deaf in one ear as the book opens Selznick’s brother was deaf in one ear when they were growing up. I introduced Selznick at the National Book Festival in September when he talked about the deeply personal nature of the story.

”Wonderstruck” by Brian Selznick (Courtesy) You have never seen a book like this because there never has been a book like this. There’s no way to convey how evocative and engrossing Selznick’s drawings make Rose’s story or how poignant and moving Selznick’s words make Ben’s story. The illustrations wordlessly tell a story that is so compelling, mysterious and thrilling that you alternately want to turn the pages quickly to see what’s next and linger to closely examine the richly rendered pencil drawings. Rose’s story is told in stark, dramatic drawings. Ben’s story is told in beautiful, vivid prose. “Wonderstruck” tells the story of two children, Ben Wilson living in Minnesota in 1977 and Rose Mayhew in New Jersey in 1927.

The remarkable work (Please don’t disrespect this story, which marries prose and illustration in a whopping 533-page tale, by calling it a graphic novel.) has been turned into the Martin Scorcese movie “Hugo.” He is the author of “ The Invention of Hugo Cabret” which won the 2008 Caldecott Medal, becoming the first novel to win the prize for the best picture book of the year. I’ve raged against extreme violence in books and extreme language on book covers.īut I want to offer a present to readers looking for a new holiday tradition, a peaceful respite from the hustle and bustle that often overwhelms us during this month or a way to reconnect with the wonder of this season: “ Wonderstruck” by Brian Selznick.

Regular readers of this column (both of you) may have noticed that I’ve been on a bit of a tear about books lately.

Wonderstruck book