The Ear

Separated from the head, Ear struggles to make her way in the world alone. On the initial spread, a yellow chair, a framed picture, and a vase of sunflowers clue savvy readers to Ear’s provenance—the head of van Gogh. Wandering through a surreal dreamscape, Ear takes the form of a cloud, a mushroom, a fish, a snail, and a butterfly as she experiences existential crisis: “She didn’t know who she was anymore.” Then, a series of animals appear—each needs a listener, and Ear discovers a purpose. Listening is not an uncomplicated gift, though; spider’s “poisonous words” ensnare Ear, and her friends must rescue her. Half the magic of Raud’s strange, subtle fable is in the illustrations, which combine rounded shapes, linear tangles, and idiosyncratic detail to conjure a whimsical world in which the moon and stars adorn elephants, and an ear with round, unblinking eyes can make its own way. Ages 4–8. [em](Feb.) [/em]