cover image I ONLY LIKE WHAT I LIKE

I ONLY LIKE WHAT I LIKE

Julie Baer, . . Bollix, $15.99 (32pp) ISBN 978-1-932188-00-4

In a problematic debut, Baer's arrestingly elaborate cut-paper mosaics draw so much attention to themselves that they don't support the story they accompany. Intricately wrought from hand-painted rice paper and ephemera, the mosaics seem better suited to being viewed from a distance than from the intimate proximity of a picture book; as such, their busy surfaces tend to push viewers away from the characters in the book. The focus, which is on the picture plane rather than on the subject, saps warmth from the images, as do the fragmented, hard-edged compositions in which the children's faces appear composed of shards of glass, and photography-like stop-action. Dewey Jackson Braintree-Berg, the child who "only likes what [he] likes," relates seven short anecdotes about accepting new experiences. "I only like round food in the morning," he announces. His father convinces him to mix up some waffle batter, "and when we finally opened up the waffle cooker, out came rectangles! I ate three!" He "only likes" red apples, but enjoys the slices of red and green and yellow apples he and his family dip into honey for "Jewish New Year."Unfortunately, there's more lesson than story here; given the unmodulated visual presentation, readers may find little to welcome them. Ages 4-8. (Aug.)