Ike's Incredible Ink by Brianne Farley (review)

Ike, a minimalist little guy with a body like a splotch of ink, wants to write a story. Like many writers, he finds himself facing the blank page with frustration, until he decides that what he needs is his own special ink. Ike gathers some rather unusual ingredients—a shadow, black feathers from a "booga-bird," and an unnamed something from the dark side of the moon (reached in a rocket ship of his own making)—and gets down to business: "He mashed, he bludgeoned, he crushed, and he steamed. And he was definitely messy." Ink finished, Ike sits down at his desk and begins to write (or rather, draw, since he mostly uses pictures) the story of what he has just done. There's more style than substance to this attractively rendered tale, but procrastinating kids may relate to Ike's initial inability to begin his writing project, and the touch of fantasy in his unorthodox ink recipe will appeal to imaginative youngsters as well. The streamlined text reads aloud smoothly, it and is complemented by Farley's crisp illustrations, rendered in ink and digital collage. The outline of Ike's inkdrop-like body appropriately "splashes out" more when he is more active, and the messiness of ink concoction is made evident by the numerous splatters and blots on those pages. Ike's tale lends itself to any number of writing or art projects, and the truly brave may want to engage their kids with an ink-making activity of their own.