Still Life

PreS-Gr 3–London begins with a lesson on what a still life painting is. “This is a still life. It is a painting of objects sitting still. In still life, nothing moves.” A textbook definition, sure, but Zelinsky’s illustrations take this in a different direction. As the narration continues to dwell on how nothing happens in a still life painting, the perspective shifts, panning out to show two mischievous mice who somehow end up in the spotlight, taking a bite out of the cheese and leaving jammy footprints all over the place. A dragon turns up as well as a knight and a princess, all while the artist earnestly assures readers that nothing happens in a still life. Amazing artwork carefully delineates between the traditional still life picture and the lively, sketchier action that’s going on in the paintings, so it’s easy for readers to figure out what’s going on, even when it’s not reflected in the text. Younger readers will love this book, and it would make an excellent read-aloud; older readers will come away with a lesson on perspective and another on questioning a resource, no matter how repetitive or strongly voiced the message.