posted on 09 Aug 2016

Moby Dick by Herman Melville, presented by Jan Needle and illustrated by Patrick Benson

How do you introduce younger readers to the classics? It’s always difficult to do it well I think because it’s a fine line to walk between accessibility and dumbing down to the point where the substance is compromised. This must have been a very real problem for author, Jan Needle, and illustrator, Patrick Benson, when they set about trying to present Herman Melville’s complex allegory of the human condition, Moby Dick.

Between the two of them they do a pretty good job of holding on to enough of the original intension to make this a good introduction for a young reader I think. They are helped in their task by the fact that at the heart of Melville’s tale is a romping good adventure story of life on the high seas and the dangerous but cruel industry of whaling. The book is also blessed with a cast of unforgettable characters who are also ideal for capturing the attention of an imaginative youngster. Jan Needle is a seasoned writer for both young people and for adults and knows well how to lace a story together in order to keep a reader reading. He’s quoted on the dust jacket as saying:

“Abridging Moby Dick was both daunting and exciting. Could I do justice to such a masterpiece? I had reasons for thinking I could try: I’ve read the book twenty times at least and have a great deal of love for the sea – all things nautical were my obsession from an early age. I couldn’t resist the chance to introduce a new generation to Melville’s extraordinary allegory-adventure.”

But I think Needle’s skills need Patrick Benson’s fabulous illustrations and the big production values of the book itself. Benson is a prolific illustrator of children’s books and is a multiple award winner for his efforts. He also has the benefit of having worked with top class authors – Roald Dahl, Michael Morpurgo and William Horwood to name but three.

Here he uses detailed black and white drawings in conjunction with double-spread colour illustrations to bring Jan Needle’s abridgement to life. His work is often very detailed but none of that sacrifices the sense of movement and excitement that the subject matter demands.

This is a really fabulous book that was published in 2006 by Walker Books and really does merit the description ‘sumptuous’.  Copies of the paperback version can be found for well under £10 and hardbacks for a little under £20.

 

Terry Potter

August  2016