I hate starting off with, “I really wanted to like The Five Forms by McClintock, but….” The cover illustration was a wonderful tease. The inside illustrations have potential. The colors are amazing. I love when colors are bright but not overpowering the words. Or are a “shock” to the system. The simple text is always nice to have so you are not overwhelming the illustrations.
And it has all that. What it did not have was me in the right frame of mind to read it. Something was “off” for me. There was a piece of the puzzle missing. I do not know if it did not explain the types of martial art poses in a way I understood, I read it too quickly, or what the issue might be. However, with all that said, I know a lot of people will love this book for the illustrations alone. And, of course, the story will speak to them. I love how there is a story within the story with just seeing the details of the illustrations. And (spoiler) part of the “inner story” has to do with the fact I have a feeling the poses did not come to life, but we have one VERY active little girl on our hands who knows how to make a delightful mess.
I like she cleans up her mess before her mother comes for her (although, as an adult, I am wondering, “Where was mom all this time?”). And that the little girl (another spoiler) puts the book back where she found it. The Jumanji theme (intentional or not) was not lost on me.