Inside the Suitcase

Description

Inside the Suitcase

Clotilde Perrin

Translated by Daniel Hahn

(Gecko Press)- hardback

Inside the Suitcase could be a ‘gigantic, luscious cake! Furthermore, there could be ‘ a sparkling, many-sided diamond‘. It seems that ‘away behind the hills‘ in a ‘delightful little house’ is a boy who packs this case. Yet what he includes is a mystery. Although we can see what he adds, layer, by page, layer, we are curious as to his selection. A woolly jumper? Swimming trunks? A cheese sandwich? What’s more, it seems that this boy is setting off on a journey…

Clotilde Perrin invites us along. Thereafter, we ‘set off across the ocean’ and ‘around a big rock‘. It seems there is treasure to be found. However, this treasure is saved as though the boy knows it might be useful later. Might it be that he’s preparing to venture into the ‘tall, pointy mountains‘. Wouldn’t the woolly jumper be useful here?

Inside the Suitcase is an intricate, layered, sequential story of consequences. Yet it is also an elegant and quality literary construction that offers us such satisfaction and intrigue as we venture through the story and layers. Like this writer/ illustrator’s Inside the Villains, we are held captive, yet also enraptured, like a birthday celebrant. This is an exceptionally wonderful book that Bookwagon recommends as a title to cherish and gift.