Mr. Qwerty worries that his ideas might seem strange, so he keeps them under his hat. But extraordinary ideas refuse to stay hidden for long.
Norman Qwerty is a man of many ideas, and none of them are the least bit ordinary. He's quite certain that no one else thinks the way he does, and this makes him keep to himself. But when his ideas get too big to hold in, he builds the most extraordinary thing! Soon the beloved Mr. Qwerty is never alone (unless he wants to be), and the world will never be the same. In a simple story whose intricate, quirky illustrations are teeming with fanciful inventions, Karla Strambini encourages creative kids to let their ideas out from under their hats and show the world what amazing things they have to share.
Norman Qwerty has a great mind but "was afraid that people would think his ideas were strange, / and he felt completely alone." The imagination-heralding prose is smartly spare; the specifics, ultimately documenting Qwerty's triumphant invention, are in the involving, largely black-and-white illustrations, which show Qwerty to be a boy in man's clothing and a hat that incubates ideas.
Imaginative illustrations and spare words present deep themes in this picture book. Norman Qwerty has ideas that are "far from ordinary." Afraid people will think them strange, he hides his ideas under his hat and feels completely alone. But when he creates a contraption that brings ideas to life, Mr. Qwerty realizes that he is not alone after all--everyone has ideas. As others use the contraption to manifest and share their ideas, they create a community that both validates and welcomes the creative diversity. (An opportunity is lost to add another layer to the diversity theme by visually portraying more diverse skin shades within the characters; only one looks nonwhite.) Strambini's detailed black-and-white pencil illustrations are filled with Rube Goldberg-like contraptions that resemble fantastical notebook doodles and are saved from monochromatic overwhelm by judiciously placed spots of color. A red-orange cravat identifies Mr. Qwerty, and the cloud-studded sky-blue scarf drifting through the story draws symbolic attention to the necessity of letting imaginations soar. Visual symbolism abounds, and astute readers, noticing something unusual on the title page, will know to pay close attention going forward. The book's theme is presented subtly; this is a story that rewards multiple readings with multiple layers of understanding. A picture book that celebrates creativity and imagination...and the courage to share them. (Picture book. 4-8)
Mr. Qwerty is an amazing inventor who worried about what the world would think of his ideas. One day, one of his ideas "escaped" from under his hat and he built something extraordinary! After that, he learned he didn't have to be alone when other peoples' ideas escaped from under their hats as well. The illustrations move the story along and convey more than the text alone. The extraordinary pencil drawings will have students exploring the unusual inventions for hours. On an interesting note, the qwerty typewriter is shown in many of the illustrations. This story could be used to talk to students about differences in people, creating a safe environment for students to share ideas freely, or as an introductory book about inventors. Rene‚ Byers Gentry, EdS, NBCT Media Specialist, Roaring River (North Carolina) Elementary School. RECOMMENDED
Melbourne-based artist Strambini redefines the "thinking cap" metaphor in this visually dynamic debut. Mr. Qwerty, who loves to tinker, keeps "his ideas under his hat," quite literally. His bowler hat opens to reveal scientific instruments that provide visual evidence of the mechanical inclinations of his mind. For all his powers of invention, Mr. Qwerty fears "that people would think his ideas were strange, and he felt completely alone." He fails to notice that other people wear hats, too-boaters, fedoras, cloches-with hinged lids that flip up to expose their own passions, whether for exploration, aviation, chemistry, food, or even butterflies. "But when his ideas escaped, as ideas often do," writes Strambini, "they GREW, and GREW, until they were SO BIG... that something had to be done about them." Strambini's playful renderings suggest an engineer's plans, scribbled in charcoal-colored pencil on a putty-and-cream background and enlivened by red and blue detailing. Mr. Qwerty's magnum opus is shown to be an enormous, bird-shaped, Rube Goldberg contraption that distributes ideas (in egg form) to the masses, subtly putting forth the idea that creativity and intellectual exploration create an atmosphere that fosters more of the same. Ages 5-8. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.