The visions of Ichabod X by Gary Crew
Ill. by Paul O'Sullivan. Harbour Publishing House, 2015. ISBN
9781922134547
(Age: Mid primary) Recommended. Future, Endangered earth. 'Time To
every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the
heaven' (Ecclesiastes 3) is quoted in the steam punk illustrations
which accompany Gary Crew's text. Beautifully illustrated in
intriguingly detailed pencil drawings, the story of a worker at a
cemetery meeting the boy whose gravestone he notices, is full of
references to time with watches, time pieces and an hour glass often
taking the predominant position on the pages. Ichabod the boy gives
the caretaker three presents: a flying machine, a spy glass and an
open lock. Each is designed to give the man a glimpse into the
future.
Crew never makes things easy. His introduction of the caretaker
using Ichabod's gifts to see into the future is then left for the
reader to pursue. No easy answers here, no tying up of the story, no
development of character, but questions, and turning the page offers
more questions. Ichabod does not tell the caretaker what he sees as
he views the future, it is up to the reader to develop this vision
for themselves.
Hints are given along the way.
Crew talks of 'the time we have', 'the destruction mankind might
cause', while the illustrations reveal a world destroyed by human
interaction, tall buildings desolate and bereft of people, frayed
electrical cords, wasps trying to get at the boy, an oak tree taking
over the headstones. With more than a nod to early silent movies,
particularly sci fi, classics, Metropolis and A trip to the moon,
the illustrations bear close inspection. All is intriguing and
demands the reader to think about what they are seeing, to think
about the future path of the world, and where it is headed. A
religious overlay caught my attention with the church and its
headstones figuring on several pages, a worn, dog eared Bible shown,
the quote from Ecclesiastes given, then the church revealed at the
end crumbling and in ruins. The link to time is everywhere, no where
more so than the hourglass chewing the watches at the top to reduce
them to the cogs and wheels in the base. An intriguing read,
questioning the way mankind has gone with science, and asking his
readers to ponder their futures.
Fran Knight