I am a fan of The Black Apple, so I was quite excited when I saw that Emily Martin had written a children's book. When I read, "With artwork gracing every spread, this book is truly a delight to read - or to read aloud," I couldn't wait to read it aloud to AB at bedtime. But after a couple of nights, I found myself disappointed. It seemed to lack a clear story line. There was no villain. I thought that the newest child to the orphanage, Delia, would be the main character, but it began to appear that there was no main character at all. While AB was quite happy with the book (granted, I could read the papers of Jarndyce v. Jarndyce aloud to her at bedtime and she would be content), I began to get frustrated as a reader, so I abandoned it.
A few days ago, I decided to give it another chance, but on my own. After reading that the book came about from a series of portraits the author created, I looked at the novel through fresh eyes. I realized that it is more a collection of character vignettes. Oddfellow's Orphanage is a peek into a fantasy world where unusual orphans are loved and accepted. Delia is the main character because we get to see her transformation from outsider to belonging to a family. However, she is not the main focus. She is simply a conduit through which we get to meet all the delightfully strange, yet normal, new members of her family.
It goes without saying that the illustrations are wonderful. The portraits, and their accompanying stories, are the highlight of the book. In addition, there are some really stellar sentences that just make your heart happy. Sentences that are full of imagery, but still simple enough for young readers to understand. Miss Martin has created a beautiful imaginary world where all are welcome.
Reading Oddfellow's Orphanage served as a reminder that for a book to be interesting, it doesn't always need to involve fighting evil or battling against the end of the world. Sometimes, all it takes is the simplicity of friendships and family.
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