THE SHADOW

Alone at dusk, a girl wordlessly tackles a demon. On the title page, she stands outdoors; observant readers will notice (though the girl doesn’t) that even in sunlight, her shadow has glowing eyes, shaped menacingly. As the sky purples, the girl heads indoors and up a misshapen staircase to her bedroom. The shadow’s silhouette roughly mimics the girl’s body angle and shape, its eyes always frighteningly sinister. Suddenly she sees it. After a few terrified postures, she folds her arms and faces it down. For the first time, its eyes show subdued repentance or fear. The girl turns on a bright bulb, ostensibly banishing shadows and gloom, but even then, a distorted bookcase and oddly mobile drapes maintain the eerie atmosphere. She falls asleep feeling safe, bed flooded in moonlight. On the final page, though, demonic eyes glow underneath the bed. Diamond’s photorealistic acrylic paintings are haunting and may haunt—furniture and walls curve and buckle, light sources behave surreally and the lack of text evokes silent nightmares. Powerful, but select audience carefully. (Picture book. 5-7)