Sail - Dorien Brouwers

 

In the Waterstone bookshop in Piccadilly (London) I bought this illustrated book that immediately struck me for its colors and phrases, which not only were short but also packed with deep meaning. 

The book is provided with a magnificent cover which features an iridescent sea and a bright sky full of stars, in which enthrones a big bird (perhaps an Artic tern), and a boat with majestic white sails, at the ends of which is tied a red band and where we catch a glimpse of a human figure, probably a child. 

Moreover, we cast a shimmering blue foreground, followed by the title “sail” (namely “vela” in italian), from which the white sails and plumage of the bird emerge. 

Dorien Brouwers, the author, uses watercolors to blend the colour blue into shades from whiteblue to turquoise. 

All those shades of blue, together with the white found in the waves, the stars, the sails and the feathers of the bird, bring to life a pleasant sensation of distention. 

In fact, Brouwers admits having written the text during a yoga session. 

Compared to the winners of the World Illustration Awards 2022, the book is suitable for a leveled-up reading and a very interesting interpretation game, made of several details and symbols to discover and interpret rather in group or individually. 

One of the richest images in terms of meaning features the octopus of the depths, where it is said to encounter deep wisdom, which holds in its tentacles numerous gold keys that represent a whole mystery and symbols to explore. 

Additionally, the bird that looks like it’s protecting from above the adventures of the protagonist, perhaps identifies as an Artic tern, that has the biggest set of migrations in space and time of all poultries. 

Even the lighthouse that from afar radiates its light that, from the sea, appears shallow and soft and precedes the immersion of the main character in the depths of the sea. 

Moreover, colorful fishes and jellyfishes, turtles and seals, marine whirlpools and thunderstorms, small and enormous boats, anchors, sails, nets, broken ropes, compasses, wind, moon, stars, and a lot of blue.

Many are the phrases and principles that provoke a reflection, such as life seen as an adventure, the challenges and difficulties to face, the access to the deepness, which can be frightening, but it also brings a lesson. 

The metaphorical meaning of certain images, phrases and words in bold is doubtlessly remarkable. 

The book encourages to see life as an adventure full of challenges, to fight through difficulties and to recognize when we are going beyond our limits of sure and knowable. 

To make our work easier, the writer provides, in the final part of the book, a list of stimuli, useful to promote annotations and thinking that can be considered full-fledged activators. Those activators can create writing suggestions that can be subsequently amplified by one’s own needs, in a much more complex and articulated manner. 

In short, a book with a lot of potential that, from my point of view, could be read in several occasions and from which can be planned interesting courses or learning activities. 

A good idea could be to read it, for instance, during continuity meeting of primary and secondary school, or perhaps to pair it with a CLIL activity. 

Furthermore, one could incorporate artistic, graphic or creative submissions to such discussion and writing. Even asking students to build many paper boats with reflections written on them looks like an approach worth mentioning. 

I’m sure that additional ideas will come to mind during the lecture based upon the response observed in class from the students. 

All we have to do is try. And I will manage as soon as possible.