Author Kyo Maclear and illustrator Isabelle Arsenault proved a winning combination with their debut picture book, 2010’s Spork, which cleverly and slyly addressed issues facing interracial kids. In their new release, Virginia Wolf (Kids Can Press, $18.95 cl., March), the pair finds inspiration in the relationship between real life sisters Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell. In the book, young Virginia feels “wolfish,” shouting, hiding under the covers, and demanding to be left alone. So Vanessa paints their shared bedroom with vines and birds, swings and flowers, creating a place called Bloomsberry and coaxing her sister out of the darkness of her mind. The book is a sensitive and nuanced portrayal of depression for an audience too young to understand the disease. It should attract a lot of attention, and dare we say it – an award nom or two?
