Illustrator, Delphine Durand, takes her readers on a wonderful, visual and imaginative tour of her house.

“Come into My House” - with these words Delphine Durand invites her readers – young and old – on a quirky, visual journey through the rooms of a house – her house. Unpretentious on the exterior, it sits in the middle of a space reminiscent of a prairie, but the moment we move inside, we find ourselves in an enticing treasure store– cubby holes, nooks, crannies – even open spaces - all full of entrancing objects, the weird and wonderful flotsam and jetsam of everyday life. The house is not just a cupboard – it is, perhaps, more like a hotel. The guests are intriguing. We meet Johnny the Terror, Franz the Frankfurter and Granny Clopinette among others. Then there are the pets – bizarre and not-so-bizarre – and, of course, the flops. There is a time machine (every self respecting house has one!), a room full of nothing, a room where things that have no place can be tidied – and (oh bliss) a room where you can do anything you like. By now the reader realises that Delphine’s house is not one of bricks and mortar but the wonderful house of her – or her reader’s – imagination. This is a house within a house, which like the Tardis, is bigger, more interesting and more detailed than its exterior would suggest. This is a house where each space – each room – each page – is “jam-packed with stories”. For – suggests Delphine – that is what a house – or is she thinking of the mind? - is about; “full of stuff” and characters moving through their own stories. However, the stories are not defined by the words of an author; these are stories waiting to be created anew by each reader.

 Delphine creates her “house” with meticulous and surreal detail. Even the typography has been selected carefully, the variety adding to the visual riches on each page. Like the “assemblages” of Joseph Cornell, the eye is attracted to little compartments in which text, characters, little scenes or action plays take place. At first seemingly random, links become apparent as the reader searches for Mustafa’s missing shoe – guess where it is found! – watches television with Bob and Jo or chills out with Franz the Frankfurter, Bernie the Burger and Colin the Chipolata.

Colours are also used suggestively, moving from warm oranges to cool blues and greens creating a sense of cosy interiors alternating with more spacious rooms. Picture books can serve many functions. For most of us they are illustrated stories with text often playing the most important part. My House is an example of the picturebook in which the visual images are the means of telling the story. This is a tradition that is very familiar in France, where the comic book format is much more accepted. It is this Gallic flavour that makes My House so interesting and rewarding for readers of all ages. While its appeal may not be immediately obvious to those more familiar with the work of Nick Sharratt or Lauren Child but as an inspirer of conversation, a means to ignite the imagination this a rich, exciting experience.

Congratulations to Winged Chariot for making such a continental delicacy available. Do look for it – you will not be disappointed.

2008-02-21