Picture Book Review: Muriel and the Mystery

Thanks to the lovely folks at Penguin Random House Canada, I have a new picture book on the review docket! Let’s take a closer look at the author-illustrator debut by Charlotte Parent, Muriel and the Mystery. Happy reading!

Canadian artist Charlotte Parent marks their debut as author and illustrator with Muriel and the Mystery. Parent is a relatively new name in the children’s literature world- thought not entirely! You might recognize Parent as the illustrator of The Magic Cap (written by Mireille Messier) or The First Christmas Tree (Le premier arbre de Noël written by Ovila Fontaine), which was a Governor General’s Literary Prize winner (in the Illustrated Books category).

Muriel lives in a forest that she knows by heart. This morning, like all other mornings, she goes hunting for snails. But this morning, unlike all other mornings, Muriel notices a minuscule mystery under a leaf…

At the opening of Muriel and the Mystery, readers are introduced to a darlingly dressed shrew named Muriel. Woven basket in paw, Muriel is taking her usual morning hunt for snails but notices a teensy mystery hiding under a leaf. At first examination, we can see what appears to be a small, round dark cloud?…or little ball of dense shadow? In any event, Muriel forgets about the mystery and “thinks about the soup she will cook” as she does “every afternoon…after a good hunt”. Eagle-eyed readers will notice, however, that while Muriel might have forgotten the mystery, the mystery has followed Muriel home, and, in fact, begins to appear around the forest in slightly larger mysterious variations. As Muriel hurries home another afternoon, she finds that there are little mysteries appearing everywhere…one of which appears to be a dark burrow which she has never seen before in her forest. As Muriel wrestles with sleep and the knowledge that there is something- or perhaps someone= so unknown living in her forest, readers are taken on a surprising and brave journey to reach the story’s conclusion.

Parent’s illustrations for Muriel and the Mystery– a mix of ink, charcoal, and black pencil with digital colouration- and the focused spectrum of moodier greens, blues and browns, gives the picture book a slightly enigmatic, secluded feel- with most of the brightness coming from Muriel’s wardrobe and restrained pieces inside her home. Additionally, while speaking to concepts related to social emotional learning- particularly those of facing unknowns and breaking out of routines- as a piece of children’s literature, Muriel and the Mystery is thoughtfully- specifically- told and crafted. It is an introspective, offbeat story that offers a generous amount of wonder(ing).

For readers who adore their picture books that perfectly blend whimsy and elegance with the unexpected and odd, Muriel and the Mystery is a fabulous pick. If you have previously read and enjoyed picture books by authors and illustrators such as Júlia Sardà, Kyo Maclear, Julie Morstad, Jess Hannigan, or Matthew Forsythe, you might especially delight in meeting Muriel and her quaint (stylish!) world. I am not sure if there are, as yet, any plans for further adventures with Muriel, but it would be a true delight to read and explore more of this peculiar, concealed forest world.

I received a copy of this title courtesy of Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are my own. Title has been published and is currently available.