Vernon is On His Way Small Stories did feel as if it was starting in the middle of something. Perhaps that is because he and his friends first showed up in Home for Bird.
This book is three short stories Waiting, Fishing, and Gardening and each one has Vernon, Skunk and Porcupine off on adventures. The dry humor and unusual illustrations will make or break this book for you. Philip C. Stead has put a lot of effort into Vernon’s world, but something was missing for me.
Stead is perhaps best known for his book A Sick Day for Amos McGee which was a big hit with a couple of my fellow booksellers over the years. Hello, My Name is Ruby also was a favorite of staff and customers.
Recently his and Erin Stead’s continuing of the unfinished Mark Twain children’s book, The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine found its way into my stores staff newsletter. And it is also on my very tall “To Read” list. In short, the point being the nice thing about Stead is if one does not speak to you, perhaps something else of his will. While he has a similar tone, each book is slightly different to please the palate of one person, but the next one another. Such as my previous review here of All the Animals Where I Live.
Perhaps I could have enjoyed this book more if there had been another illustrator yet, they do fit the whimsical tone of the text.