ALA Booklist (Sat May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2021)

The Ukrainian creators of this eye-catching picture book have a vision: in a format meant for browsing rather than research, they reveal myriad facts about sight. Through a stylized blend of modern and retro imagery and mostly muted primary colors, readers follow a girl sporting a variety of oversize costumes and glasses. In double-page spreads, her first-­person (and occasionally introspective) narration in short sentences and a larger font sets the theme for those pages. The topics start with a few basics uch as eye structure, color vision, how mirrors work, and early and modern pictographs d progress to tools (e.g., microscopes and telescopes) that aid seeing, Braille and the absence of vision, how animal sight differs, optical illusions, the role of sight in beauty, and more. Short passages in a smaller font provide more detailed facts. For instance, as the girl says she wants to discover the world with open eyes, these passages explain how human eye pupils work, as well as optical devices like periscopes and drones. A fun, insightful look at vision.

Kirkus Reviews

Graphic design shines in this survey of light, color, what we see, and how we see it.Sharing both strengths and weaknesses with its companion Sound: Shhh…Bang…Pop…Boom! (2020), this overview combines pithy forays into the imagination and scientific observations with exuberant, creative illustrations highlighted by generous use of Day-Glo orange and vivid blues. The science is usually clear but does occasionally become hard to parse-and, sometimes, hard to read due to tintype and poor contrast. In no obvious order the Ukrainian creators focus on a broad range of topics including eye color and structure, common signs and symbols, optical effects and illusions, Braille, photography, primary and mixed colors, and (with the rationale that "I envision more than what my eyes can see") even smell, hearing, touch, and taste. The visuals are often riveting, though an uncaptioned photograph and several asterisked explanations relegated to the back endpaper are signs that the spotlight is on page design, not content. Moreover, the stylized human figures throughout are not rendered with an obvious eye to diversity; for instance, all of the faces are paper white in a full-page gallery of expressions, and in another of eyeglass wearers, just six of 25 present female, and there are just two with dark skin. Still, every page up to the closing bucket list of things "worth seeing" in and beyond our world offers a rewarding sight and/or insight.A memorable overview, artistically at least, but mostly flash. (Informational picture book. 7-10)

School Library Journal (Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2021)

Gr 2 Up-Centered on the theme of one of the five senses, sight, this is an aesthetically pleasing book. The illustrations, consisting primarily of muted primary colors, feature simple shapes that often slightly overlap resulting in images resembling a screenprint. Each spread is devoted to an aspect of sight (or visual impairment) and tangentially related subjects. Topics covered include the parts of the eye; colors; glasses; telescopes; camouflage; Braille; photography; and the way sight differs among various animals such as owls, rats, and humans. Particularly captivating is a spread devoted to optical illusions featuring an illustration with colorful orbs that appear to spin endlessly. Sentences utilizing large font often span the length of a page and convey simple ideas while more complex concepts are expressed using a smaller font in compact rows. VERDICT This picture book will serve as a great jumping-off point when introducing the concept of sight. With entry points for both new readers and more advanced readers to engage with the content, it will appeal to a wide swath of students. Ragan O'Malley, Saint Ann's Sch., Brooklyn