Songs of Papa's Island

Rating:
Summary: Cute Freshman Outing in the World of Children's Literature
Review: 'Songs of Papa's Island' is a cute freshman outing for Barbara Kerley. In words it does capture the 'sights, sounds, and feelings of a unique and wonderful place,' as its inside cover states, though I can't help but feel that it would have benefited from more articulate illustrations. For their
individual merit, Katherine Tilllotson's images and cover are pleasant and incorporate a popular artistic style. (I feel like I've seen them passing souvenir shops, traveling down the southeastern coast - places like South Carolina, Florida and the Keys.) But I'm not sure how much they serve Barbara Kerley's 'songs' and ultimate story. They are far too simple in comparison to the narration. Admittedly designed for a younger audience, 'Where the Wild Things Are' is a masterful example of children's literature in which imagery heightens a story's words and lyricism and creates a vivid world. Twenty years later I can still conjure images of Maurice Sendak's intimidating, yet
approachable, wild-eyed monsters.

At the end of the day, Kerley's 'songs' don't resonate with me either and they lack the lyrical quality that the inside cover claims they have. Literarily her concept is clear. Emotively though it just doesn't connect. Songs by nature carry themes and Kerley's theme does not resonate. Her repetition - "Before you were born you lived on an island . . ." - seems dry and pallid. It lacks the kind of vibrancy that comes through good music or
poetry. On this note, there is also something strange, or let's say contradictory, about the work. When Kerley set out to write it, my impression is that she aimed to tell a story that nostalgically depicts a tropically idyllic place that teams with natural life. And for the most part, it's fair to say she accomplished this. But, in her stories to her daughter she
mentions things like a 'respirator,' 'throwing up,' 'fancy hotels,' and 'tourists'. Things of this nature seem to break with or detract from the intended tone and reality of the piece.