The Most Magnificent Thing written and illustrated by Ashley Spires, introduces the reader to a regular girl and her best friend: her dog. They enjoy doing everything together. One day, she gets an idea. She is going to make the most magnificent thing!
Feeling inspired, she quickly gets to work. Her faithful assistant is there to lend a helping paw. She completes the project in record time but realizes that her creation is all wrong. The girl decides to try again. The piece is still not what she had envisioned.
She continues to try, working faster each time. When her umpteenth attempt ends in failure, the girl gets mad. So mad that she decides to completely give up on her idea. Will her assistant be able to change her mind?
I absolutely adore this book! I love the subtle details in Spires's illustrations. Many of the backgrounds remain in black and white with only certain objects or characters in color. This can be seen on pages five and six. I spotted a cat in a window and a bird that are both in color while their pearches remain colorless. I love the contrast that this adds to the illustrations.
I also love how there is a story within the story that is contained in the illustrations. The girl's dog had me laughing with his crazy antics. The ending of the story is also quite surprising. I was totally touched and even shed a few tears.
This book is a fantastic read for book lovers of all ages. Young and old alike will definitely be able to relate to the emotions of frustration and defeat as well as the theme of friendship. I would highly recommend that this book be used in schools as well.
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