Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
The Amazing Trail of Seymour Snail
Illustrator: Doug Cushman
Fiction
For ages 5 to 7
Henry Holt, 2009 ISBN: 978-0805086980
Seymour Snail is an artist. He makes puddle paintings, leaf prints, and mud sculptures, and he thoroughly enjoys creating them. The one thing he has not done is to show his artworks to his friends. Seymour is a shy fellow and does not feel ready to show anyone his art, so before his friends come over to visit, Seymour hides his paintings, prints, and sculptures.
Then a big wind blows through the door and Seymour’s art works are revealed, much to his friends’ delight, who think that Seymour should “get a job as an artist.” Encouraged by his friends, Seymour sets about trying to find a job that will allow him to use his artistic abilities. It turns out that finding such a job is not easy to do, and Seymour gets quite discouraged until Mr. Earwig puts Seymour in touch with a friend who just happens to work in an art gallery.
Seymour sets off with hope in his heart, moving slowly and slimily, which is what all snails do after all. Being an artistic fellow, he cannot help making a few slime pictures as he makes his way across Central Park.
When Seymour gets to the gallery it soon becomes clear that his new boss is a rather unpleasant character, and his new job is boring in the extreme. Seymour begins to wish that he was back at home.
In this amusing chapter book the author gives us a main character who is very sweet and loveable. We cannot help feeling proud of the little snail who has artistic talent and who wants so much to share his art with others, and we hope that someone will be able to help him to live his dream.
With short chapters and illustrations on every page, this book is perfect for children who are just starting to enjoy reading chapter books.
