Elérhetetlen

Separate worlds, together...

Are we ever truly able to let other people in to our world? Or will parts of us always be private, separate from others? Màray Mariann´s book Elérhetetlen ("Unreachable") poses some really big questions.

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The book starts with a collection of moths, all beautiful, all different. At the half-title page we are introduced to a baby and a caterpillar sitting inside a glass dome, and the first full spread is a plethora of babies and a few moths in glass jars, domes and vases. Mariann guides the reader through the book by showing how the baby grows up to be a boy, then a young man. He lets some people into his dome, other's have to stay on the outside. At times he wants to be in the dome but finds it's not possible, at other times he wants to be let out, but is trapped inside.

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Mariann´s illustrations perfectly capture the complexity of the questions raised. She portrays fear, doubt, joy, love and loneliness through both the characters body language and facial expressions. 

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In our time, where social media have such power over our lives, this is an important book. We use our phones and screens like our "domes", making our own separate worlds. The questions this books raises are relatable to all ages, but it would be particularly well suited for teenagers, who are that point in life where one finds the balance between the safety of the "dome" and finding ones role in the outside world. 

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Màray Mariann is a very accomplished artists that has published 22 books, with a few great silent books in the portfolio. She has won several prestigious prizes. We have more of her titles in the collection, so stay tuned for more reviews of her work!