INSIDE THE SUITCASE

A young traveler’s red suitcase holds all sorts of useful items, including treasures found along the way.

Placing images on multiple descending or overlapping layers of large, shaped flaps to enhance the ongoing thrill of discovery, Perrin invites viewers to flip through the seemingly random contents of a White, russet-haired lad’s suitcase, then follow along as he travels over land and sea past a series of houses strangely similar to his own. A simple memory game ensues. Are the mountains cold? There’s a sweater in the luggage. What’s inside that cage? Open it with the key under the sweater. It’s a mouthwatering cake! Eat it or take it along? Into the suitcase it goes, and later it becomes just the thing to distract a scary monster in a dark forest. Behind further doors, a diamond begs to be snatched up and a magic seed to be planted. Occasional glimpses of a smiling snail, a fish floating in midair, or some other small onlooker enhance the surreal feel of the neatly drawn, harmoniously tinted illustrations. By journey’s end, what’s left in the suitcase? Lift the flap…and there’s nothing inside—nothing but intangible experiences and memories, that is. Footloose readers will come away understanding that packing is not an exact science, and it’s always wise to leave a little room in the suitcase.

From France via New Zealand, a surreal or, perhaps, metaphorical journey, rich in surprises.