A review by ellielabbett
Anno's Journey by Mitsumasa Anno
4.0
Anno’s Journey is undoubtedly a beautiful and detailed exploration of rural and urban communities, a fantastic work of art that can be appreciated by anyone. It put me in the position of an anonymous observer, which I imagine to be quite similar to Anno, who created this book during his travels across Europe. I think that this position is made all the more prevalent through the fact that there are no words in this story, perhaps mirroring the solitude that Anno felt during his trip.
It was after a few re-reads that I found that following Anno’s journey was actually quite a grounding experience- it hones in on the complexities of individual life, which we do not always notice when travelling through our own lives. Perhaps we all need to pay more attention to what is going on around us, rather than being stuck in our own personal bubble.
I question how I would actually use this book in school, as I feel that reading this story is and ought to be an individual experience, not to be dictated by a teacher or other children. I think that it should to be something that children can look through quietly on their own, rather than being a point of discussion.
It was after a few re-reads that I found that following Anno’s journey was actually quite a grounding experience- it hones in on the complexities of individual life, which we do not always notice when travelling through our own lives. Perhaps we all need to pay more attention to what is going on around us, rather than being stuck in our own personal bubble.
I question how I would actually use this book in school, as I feel that reading this story is and ought to be an individual experience, not to be dictated by a teacher or other children. I think that it should to be something that children can look through quietly on their own, rather than being a point of discussion.