Weslandia by Paul Fleischman
Picture Book Shelves - Lower Level FLE
A winner of numerous awards including the New York Public Library’s 100 best Children’s books of the year, A “School Library Journal” best book of the year, and a “Child” best books award, Weslandia deserves the praise. Weslandia tells the story of a unique boy named Wesley who loves reading, hates pizza, and is tormented by his classmates. However instead of changing himself to meet the needs of his family and classmates, he creates a civilization of his own.
The thing that stands out the most with Weslandia is the art work. Kevin Hawkes illustrations are lush, vibrant, and full of color. Spreading each illustration across two full pages really helps capture Wesleys world. One particular piece, that of Wesley lying in a hammock under the stars playing his flute could stand on it’s own in any art gallery. Of course the artwork isn’t the only thing that’s great about Weslandia.
Fleischman paints a picture with his words that serves as hope to any child who feels like they might not belong. Instead of caving to peer pressure and following someone elses path, Wesley follows his own. In fact most of the events that occur within Weslandia follow the theme of self preservation. This can be seen when Wesley is building furniture, clothes, and even farming his own crops. The fact that learning how to do all these things can not only be fun, but can also serve as confidence building makes Weslandia a great picture book.