![]() ![]() The humane nature of the story extends to the art, where it’s rare that anyone is a threatening as they look, Hatke flying in the face of generations of children’s books where readers are taught to fear the strange and unknown. The pages are drawn as simple and uncluttered, ideal for the children Zita is intended to enthral, but the designs of some creatures Zita meets indicate Hatke’s capable of more complex work. ![]() For this project at least, Hatke presents the do as you would be done by worldview. It takes longer than she anticipates, but she’s persistent, and her character is such that she makes a lot of friends along the way simply by being nice and helping them. When both are transported separately to an alien planet, her first task is to rescue him. Zita is far more confident than her pal Joseph, and has a fundamentally sound heart despite teasing him. Hatke delivers on the expectations that cover prompts. It’s a job very well done, and isn’t one of those deceptive illustrations by a different artist to conceal poorer work within. Even more oddities are to be found on the back cover. Zita herself stands large and confident, her pal Joseph rides what seems to be a giant mouse behind her, and they’re surrounded by strange, but not too intimidating creatures. ![]() Ben Hatke’s charming cover illustration surely goes a long way to attracting the desired audience. ![]()
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