Uma Krishnaswami is an author living in Victoria, British Columbia, while Uma Krishnaswamy is a well-known illustrator in Chennai, India. Their names are not their only similarities: Both have an inventive, inspiring approach that makes potentially complex topics fun, child-friendly and accessible.
Look! Look! is a companion to the creators’ previous collaboration, Out of the Way! Out of the Way!, in which a boy helps protect a young tree. Their new picture book follows a girl in India whose curiosity sparks a remarkable discovery. In between two dusty fields strewn with garbage, the child notices a gray lump. She calls her friends over to look, and together, the children brush away dirt to uncover large stone slabs. With the help of their families and nearby villagers, the site is cleared, the hole is dug deeper, and eventually a long-forgotten well is revealed. At each step in the process, the simple refrain, “Look, look!” helps punctuate the action and move the story forward. The story comes to fruition when rain arrives, bringing more transformation: “The rain had woken deep, sleeping springs, sending fresh clear water bubbling up into the old well.”
Krishnaswami’s spare, lyrical text is complemented by Krishnaswamy’s bright, decorative palette of vibrant yellows, greens and earthy ochres. White space is used especially effectively. In one spread, plump gray rain clouds float above a patchwork of fields, while in others, small spot art vignettes provide lots of details to look at and discuss.
The back matter note (unlike many) is written with a child audience in mind. Entitled “The Old Well in This Story,” it explains that the well featured in Look! Look! is one of many ancient wells in India, which are now being rediscovered to help combat increasing drought caused by climate change.
