Through the intricate art of paper collage, Megan Fullmer Perry’s The Overlook Book invites children and adults alike to explore diverse perspectives and engage in meaningful conversations about friendship, love, and kindness.
Our initial view of a situation doesn’t always allow us to see the whole picture. Only by looking at an issue from a different perspective can we gain a better understanding. The Overlook Book: Change Your Perspective, Change the World encourages readers to see things from a different perspective in a very literal way.
Showing scenes from one viewpoint and then pivoting to an aerial view helps readers understand what is really going on in each scene and what vital details we might be missing with our limited view. Author and illustrator Megan Fullmer Perry’s colorful artwork is created using paper collages, so the images have a degree of depth, shadow, and texture from the layers of paper that mirror the layers of our understanding.
The Overlook Book invites readers to open their minds to new perspectives and explores concepts of friendship, family, support, love, inclusion, peace, and kindness.
Praise
The Overlook Book: Change Your Perspective, Change the World Megan Fullmer Perry A simple change in perspective can dramatically alter your entire outlook. This picture book zooms in and out of various viewpoints, revealing new angles for each scene that it depicts. For instance, in one set of illustrations, a girl lounges alone beside a brick wall, but an aerial view shows a friend sitting on the opposite side. An apparently solo rower on choppy seas is actually in a multi-person rowboat, and help is on the way for a person seemingly stranded on a deserted island. These perspective shifts offer several meaningful lessons: no one is ever truly alone, a broader view makes a major difference, and there is usually more to a situation than it initially seems. The book’s playful illustrations were created with a blend of hand and machine cut paper collages, and include plenty of diverse representation. With its emphasis on inclusion and empathy, alongside its clever use of perspective, this book will be an excellent addition to any collection.
—Children's Literature
