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From Horn Book

March 1, 2023
Rusch's thought-provoking text begins: "Nothing is the space around and between everything." The presence of nothing, cued by plain white areas in the cut-paper illustrations, appears first as physical space: the gap where a tooth once sat, the expanse between stars in the sky, the space for a missing puzzle piece. Important, too, is nothing as temporal space: the moment before a leap of faith or a bit of spare time in one's day. Even in music, room for nothing fosters beauty: "For what is a song without some silence?" There can be, of course, too much or too little of nothing. On these spreads in particular, Goss's use of color and space makes a strong emotional impact: a queasy-green child sandwiched between tightly packed adults in a crowd finds "too little" of nothing, while a blue-hued child sulks surrounded by "too much" of nothing amid a stark white double-page spread. Wherever nothing is found, there is space for something to unfurl. Goss's intricate illustrations visually articulate the importance of nothing, or negative space, as discussed in the back matter. A striking call for young children and aspiring artists alike, the story sets out to prove that "nothing" matters, after all. Grace McKinney

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From Horn Book

January 1, 2023
Rusch's thought-provoking text begins: "Nothing is the space around and between everything." The presence of nothing, cued by plain white areas in the cut-paper illustrations, appears first as physical space: the gap where a tooth once sat, the expanse between stars in the sky, the space for a missing puzzle piece. Important, too, is nothing as temporal space: the moment before a leap of faith or a bit of spare time in one's day. Even in music, room for nothing fosters beauty: "For what is a song without some silence?" There can be, of course, too much or too little of nothing. On these spreads in particular, Goss's use of color and space makes a strong emotional impact: a queasy-green child sandwiched between tightly packed adults in a crowd finds "too little" of nothing, while a blue-hued child sulks surrounded by "too much" of nothing amid a stark white double-page spread. Wherever nothing is found, there is space for something to unfurl. Goss's intricate illustrations visually articulate the importance of nothing, or negative space, as discussed in the back matter. A striking call for young children and aspiring artists alike, the story sets out to prove that "nothing" matters, after all.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From Kirkus

All the positives about negative space. "Nothing" is a complicated concept to explain--but Rusch attempts to simplify the matter (or lack thereof) through a series of musings. Nothing can be the space between you and other objects, the spaces between written words, the gap after you lose a tooth, or the rests between notes in a song. Personal space can be nothing--and you can have too much, too little, or just the right amount. Nothing is represented visually throughout using paper-white negative space, including on a spread about outer space being "mostly nothing." Goss' cut-paper illustrations, outlined with thick black lines, depict a variety of children with skin the varying colors of the pages enjoying nothingness in many ways. Though it's attractive enough, as a whole the book feels thin, with little to entice kids to return for rereads. Backmatter offers more information "about nothing" and proposes mindfulness and art activities to help kids appreciate negative space, though written instructions could use more clarity--one activity suggests readers "fold a sheet of paper in half. Cut a half circle and a half banana from the folded side and another half circle from the edge above. When you unfold the paper, you'll see a smiling face." (This book was reviewed digitally.) If lack of substance is the point, it's right on the mark. (Picture book. 3-6)

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