The Wanderer

by Peter Van den Ende

Overview

Society of Illustrators, Dilys Evans Founder's Award Winner
A New York Times Best Book of 2020
A Wall Street Journal Best Book of 2020

PRAISE

"Electrifying. Extraordinary. Enigmatic and gorgeous." —The Wall Street Journal

"An epic dream captured in superbly meticulous detail." —Shaun Tan

"Danger, magic, surprise and awe abound in this masterly, wordless debut." —The New York Times

"I love Van den Ende's passion." —Brian Selznick, New York Times Book Review

STARRED REVIEWS

★ "Marvelously engrossing—a triumph." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "Remarkable. Absolutely sui generis." —Booklist, starred review

Without a word, The Wanderer presents one little paper boat's journey across the ocean, past reefs and between icebergs, through schools of fish, swaying water plants, and terrifying sea monsters. The little boat is all alone, and while its aloneness gives it the chance to wonder at the fairy-tale world above and below the waves, that also means it must save itself when it storms. And so it does.

Readers young and old will find the strength and inspiration in this quietly powerful story about growing, learning, and life's ups and downs.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781646140176
Publisher:	Levine Querido
Publication date:	10/06/2020
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	452,336
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 12.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	8 - 14 Years

About the Author

The Wanderer is Peter Van den Ende's remarkable debut as a picture book artist. When he's not drawing, he works as a nature guide in the Cayman Islands. The beauty of the sea was his source of inspiration for his wonderful wordless story.

Editorial Reviews

The technical aspect of the work is mind-boggling, especially the masterly crosshatching. Staring at the images, I couldn't stop imagining Van den Ende, pen in hand, drawing each line, one after the other, creating work that seems to defy the passage of time, and all known resources of patience and imagination. Imagine Shaun Tan having an aquatic love child with Edward Gorey, from a family tree that includes Tim Burton, Salvador Dalí and Jacques Cousteau, and you'll begin to get the idea…I love Van den Ende's passion, and I wonder what he might want us to take away from his book. Here's my guess: Go out and explore. Don't be afraid to set off into the unknown. Love the natural world and treat it with respect because the challenges are worth it, and in the end you will be transformed. Yes, danger lurks out there, but so do treasures and magic and wonder, and there's a good chance someone is waiting to welcome you home. I know it might sound crazy, but I believe him.

The New York Times Book Review - Brian Selznick

08/10/2020

Dutch artist Van den Ende follows a mysterious paper boat on a surreal, at times oppressive-feeling journey across the world’s oceans. Wordless, closely worked black-and-white spreads conjure an alternative Earth whose reefs hold strange life-forms. The paper boat—it’s as tall as a person (or are the people as small as the boat?)—is folded and launched from a galleon by a fair-haired human and a horned, caped figure. On its voyage, the paper craft encounters monstrous sea creatures, icebergs, murky depths illuminated by sea life, and more. Approaching a drilling rig that pumps poison into the air, it takes a bullet while sea birds drop out of the sky, dead. The black caped figure and attendant bright-eyed creatures intervene. At last, the paper boat arrives at the harbor of a surreal port city, where a final reunion leaves still another mystery. Charged with a current of imaginative power, Van den Ende’s artwork, like an Escher drawing leaning into oceanic and naval architecture, results in a 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea sensibility and an unsettling blend of warm nostalgia and chilly futurism. Ages 8–up. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"Marvelously engrossing-a triumph." - KIRKUS REVIEWS (starred review)

"Remarkable. Absolutely sui generis."-BOOKLIST (starred review)

From the Publisher

★ 2020-07-14
A paper boat navigates an intercontinental voyage, meeting fantastic creatures, industrial ships, and surprising allies.

In this mind-blowing debut, Belgian author Van den Ende presents over 60 intricately rendered drawings, depicting everything from Escher-esque schools of fish to vast expanses of ocean and sky. The wordless tale begins near the Aleutians, as ship Exploratio launches the tiny boat. Its encounters—with fish-mammal hybrids, Antarctic ice caverns, and more—unfold above meticulously detailed underwater tableaux. The conflicted interplay between humans and ocean habitats is portrayed throughout. Juxtaposed with a doleful, pipe-smoking baleen whale is a surreal anglerfish/crustacean hybrid with a broadcasting TV as bait perched atop a sunken trove of boats (including a paper one). More whimsically, a giant squid trades bottled ink for bound books. Chillingly, a deep-sea oil rig, a whale hanging from one crane, spews noxious smoke amid dying birds and fish. The paper boat assists a diver during an armed attack from the rig. It’s rescued, in turn, during a storm and, again, after a waterlogged sinking. Achieving a European port, the paper boat reencounters the many beings and crafts that abetted its journey. Six intriguing final panels delineate the paper boat docking below a small house. As the boat fades away, a human figure materializes, adorned with images from the voyage—including the paper boat. As the figure encounters another at the doorway, readers are left to their own conjurations.

Marvelously engrossing—a triumph. (map) (Picture book. 6-12)

Kirkus Reviews