JALAL AND THE LAKE

In Usman’s picture book debut, a boy trades the sanctity of the local lake for a chance to own the clouds.

Jalal, who has black hair and light brown skin, lives in a village beside Lake Lanao in the Philippines. The lake provides fish for the village, and its waters are essential for drinking, bathing and irrigation. Every week, all the villagers but one celebrate the lake; the exception is Jalal, the only son of community leader Sulutan Abdul, who dreams of owning the clouds. When dark-suited men offer to grant his wish, asking to dump rubbish in the lake in exchange, Jalal begs his father to agree. The Sulutan does, with disastrous results (“Children are getting sick. We wish our lake was clean again”) that Jalal then has to set right. Because the story is presented bilingually—first in English then in the Austronesian language Meranaw—the pages appear text-heavy. The layout, however, makes astute use of blank spaces, and the two-page spreads offer ample visual input to balance the verbiage. Palita’s vibrant art brings the story to life, combining manga-style figures with digital watercolor backgrounds to capture the tranquil beauty of the landscape and the purple- and yellow-hued splendor of the Muslim festivities. The prominent use of curls as graphic elements adds a dreamlike quality that is suitable for fable—young children will find themselves immersed in Jalal’s world.

A short, sweet cautionary tale, brimming with character.