Book review: Picture book ‘Land of Or’ explores making choices
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“LAND OF OR,” by Katie Mullaly, illustrated by Toby Allen, Faceted Press, $16.99, 32 pages (ages 5-10)
The picture book “Land of Or” by Katie Mullaly looks at the reasons behind choices. Though fairly philosophical, it can help readers see the impact of different options and decisions in a creative way.
The rhyming narrator navigates through the Land of Or, inviting readers first to gather Options, or those who will be coming along. At the Arches of Yabbut, the narrator points out the creature Yabbut, who always has an excuse, and says to “beware when this rascal shows up.”
The journey continues through the Canyon of Why, across the Stream of If Then, through the Gulley of Others and ends up at Best for You. At each place, Options are examined and then narrowed down to make sure each traveler on the trip is really the best one to bring along and that decisions impact more than just one traveler.
The rhythmic, rhyming couplets help make this one great to read aloud. The art by Toby Allen is vivid and bright with a Seuss-esque feel.
Because of the amount of text, the very busy nature of some of the pages (and how the guide can be difficult to find) and the abstract lessons taught, it’s best suited for an audience older than that of a typical picture book.
Mullaly has two other picture books in the works, the “Land of When” and the “Land of And.”
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