The Squishiness of Things

Marc Companeyets (author)

Knopf Borzoi Books, Random House, USA: 2005

ISBN: 0375827501

Genres: picture book, science

Issues: values

This unusual picture book will delight gifted readers who have an interest in the whys and wherefores of all things.

Hieronymous is a scientist. He likes to know about things, so he does research. ‘Of the saltiness of ink he was learned, of the bounciness of sausage he was an authority. He measured the number of lentils it would take to dam up the Nile and studied whether porcupines liked sweet potatoes or yams.'

He had even studied the crunchy-squishiness of bugs by treading on 16, 567 different types. What to do then, when he can find nothing new to measure? He is in despair until a mysterious hair blows in through his window. As it doesn't match any of the thirty-six million hairs in Hieronymous' hair collection, he travels far and wide, consulting people of different cultures, in order to try and find the unknown creature to which it belongs. Eventually his search leads him back to his own laboratory, where a simple question from his assistant (a specialist in napping) helps him to understand that for all his knowledge of Things, he has very little knowledge of himself.

The Squishiness of Things is a penetrating allegory of human nature and our tendency to be so concerned about the world around us that we forget to attend to the small things of daily life. Layered with meaning and full of subtle humour, adult readers will find this a thought-provoking and whimsical story to share with youngsters. While too little knowledge may be a dangerous thing, perhaps too much knowledge is just as limiting.

The illustrations, worked in muted pastels, are reminiscent of the earthy tones and homely images of Vermeer, while detailed borders around the text reflect the various fields of Hieronymous' studies.