The Last Piece of Sky

Joan Buchanan is a children’s storyteller and author of Taking Care of
My Cold and What If I Were in Charge?

This unusual story concerns Owen, who starts by kicking Olivia’s new
puzzle all over the room, and whose favorite saying is “Why should
I?” Tim Wynne-Jones takes a brief, literal frame—a piece of sky in a
puzzle—and then plunges into the full fantasy of Owen pulling a
bulrush plug out of Heartbeat Pond and draining it, thereby exposing a
green snake and his riddle.

The language evokes both a classic fairy tale like Alice in Wonderland
and a contemporary, child-centred tale of sparseness and intriguing
onomatopoeia. On some levels, the story is fun, but I don’t find Owen
an interesting character—and not just because he is unlikable. I also
felt ambivalent about the plot. It’s lighthearted and innovative, yet
ordinary and unsatisfying at the same time. The ending, however, does
tie the fantasy and reality elements together well.

As usual, Marie-Louise Gay’s illustrations are boisterous, whimsical,
and detailed, making active, playful use of different perspectives. The
pictures also move the story along well, except in one spot near the
beginning where the illustration seems a step behind the text.

Recommended for preschool through to elementary readers. Older primary
children and even intermediates may appreciate the wackiness.