This book is incomparable; it is 100% original and avant-garde. And this applies not just to the text, but to the book as a complete product: the design, the illustrations, and even the layout—every single detail contributes to the overall picture.
The endpapers alone make the reader chuckle: was it bound incorrectly or something? Turning the pages, you become increasingly perplexed: even after 20 pages, the main text still hasn’t started, yet it all looks very cool. Once the actual reading begins, you become more and more blown away with every page...
First comes the story of a family with a dog, told by various family members, with the dog commenting from its own perspective. At first, you have no idea how you’ve been dragged into this scene. Where did these characters come from, what’s with this dachshund, what are you getting at? You start to suspect the dog isn’t exactly a dog, but then you lose your train of thought because the narrator suddenly changes. Okay, let’s try to grasp the essence... You feel like you’re finally getting into the narrative—fine, the dachshund is the main character—when suddenly you’re yanked out of this story and thrown into another, where a never-printed book with a print run of zero copies takes the floor. Finally, you start to realize that it seems the dachshund and the never-printed book are the same character, right? That’s Lenya Skvorechnikov, isn't it? But how did that happen? What is he doing? Why?
To jump ahead, let’s say that Lenya has a mind-blowing, almost superhuman, boundless imagination. He invents stories where he becomes an armadillo, a potato chip, a sleeping beauty, all the subway passengers at once, or a prehistoric man. Why does he do it? For no reason at all! He just needs to make up with his best friend, but he can’t manage it, and his intense mental labor constantly leads him to the most unexpected places. Some fantasies unfold broadly across time and space, while others take up just a couple of pages, flowing into one another and blending with reality.
This novella is very funny and highly complex in form; it is brilliantly conceived and masterfully executed. To fully grasp it, you’ll need to read it at least a couple of times, but children will certainly reread it many more. The author, the illustrator, and the publisher are wonderful! Finally! Finally, a truly talented, effortless, original work that doesn’t feel forced. How could anyone even come up with this?!
"The Multiple Worlds of Lenya Skvorechnikov" by Zhenya Boldt with illustrations by Dina Usmandi, for upper elementary and middle school age
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