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Sleep
Tight, Mrs. Ming |
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Sleep
Tight, Mrs. Ming |
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Taken from Sleep Tight, Mrs. Ming c 1993 Mirielle Levert, published by Annick Press.
Unauthorised use of the work is forbidden with out the prior written consent of Annick Press.
Sleep Tight, Mrs. Ming is the story of young Jeremiah who is having great difficulty sleeping through the night. The heroine of this tale is Mrs. Ming, who patiently attends to his needs as she lulls Jeremiah back to sleep. Jeremiah lovingly reciprocates, comforting a frightened Mrs. Ming during a violent thunderstorm. Sharon Jennings' eloquently simple text is complimented by joyous illustrations by Mireille Levert. In an elegant style reminiscent of Matisse, Levert creates a world of wonder where imagination runs free.
Rather than employing bright electric colours, Mirelle Levert's Levert has opted for deep subdued tones like maroon and cream yellow to create contrast. The colour scheme gives the book a dense feel. No single colour dominates Levert's images, rather the colours work together in harmony. Levert employs whimsical patterns to liven up her dark, earthy colour scheme. She creates texture in her illustration with contrasting patterns. In the first illustration, we see Mrs. Ming in her maroon pyjamas which are covered by white dots against the swirling pattern of her bedspread. These wildly random patterns create multiple focal points within these lively pictures. These whimsical patterns add layers to the flat tone of the images.
The shapes in Mireille Levert's illustrations are delightfully expressive. The corners and edges of the walls gently bend and headboards softly curve in Levert's surreal environment. This round treatment of angular objects also creates the sensation of movement in the pictures. Her illustrations are fluid, every object in the frame possesses the same gentle energy of Mrs. Ming and Jeremiah. Mireille Levert has brought Sharon Jennings' memorable characters to life with her expressive paintings. Mrs. Ming's rosy cheeks radiate compassion as she protects Jeremiah from his fears. Levert's simple cartoon faces explore a range of emotions from fear to jubilation. Her characters' expressive body language effectively conveys their excitement, worry and relief.
The line between fantasy and reality is often obscured in Sleep Tight, Mrs. Ming. The home shared by Mrs Ming and Jeremiah features few borders. Turtles, giant rabbits and sea monsters drift through the house as Jeremiah or Mrs. Ming's imaginations run amok. Rooms contort as they fill with strange creatures and cacti. Throughout these illustrations certain elements such as chests and light-fixtures remain constants, precariously balancing the story somewhere between fantasy and reality. Trees grow out of the floor and walls transform into a country landscape, yet Mrs. Ming's striped rug always remains. The walls dissipate into the night sky, while a bedspread metamorphasizes into sea-monster and rides a wave into another illustration and out to sea as stuffed animals grow into giants disturbing young Jeremiah. Levert scatters her pictures with little details that maintain continuity throughout the book such as shoes, blankets, stuffed animals, books, and clothing. Levert's attention to detail makes the pictures a joy to explore time after time. Mireille Levert's illustrations add charming detail and delightful visuals to Sharon Jennings' imaginative story.
Click here to view Mireille's bibliography and a list of other awards she has won.
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