This past week our family had the pleasure of reading the newly published book Outside by Deirdre Gill, a former high school classmate of mine. For as long as I have know Deirdre she has been an accomplished artist, and when I learned that she had written, and illustrated, her first children's book I was amazed, but not surprised. When I first saw the beautiful cover page on Facebook I knew I needed to read it. Deirdre kindly had a copy sent to me so I could share it with my family, and we could share it with all of you!
The first thing that struck me about Outside is the beautiful illustrations. I'm a sucker for children's books of all kinds but, Deirdre's illustrations are nothing short of Caldecott Medal worthy. They, along with the simple story of a little boy who ventures out into the snow and creates amazing things with his imagination, take you to a different world. It is a world where things are soft, and peaceful, and you don't want to leave when the book ends.
Outside is published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and can be purchased/ordered locally at Storybook Cove (Hanover), Buttonwood Books and Toys (Cohasset), or Westwinds Bookshop (Duxbury). We can't wait to order copies for our friends for the holidays!
Note - I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this article. No additional compensation was received. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.