Triangle by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen

Today's post is written by Liesel Schmidt, a children’s librarian at Denver Public Library’s Central Library. She enjoys exploring the wonders of the world alongside kids of all kinds.

From the cover of the book, a triangle with skinny rectangular legs, stares outward, wide-eyed. There are no words on the cover. The title page helpfully explains that this book is called Triangle by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen. With trademark deadpan humor, the team behind Sam and Dave Dig a Hole and Extra Yarn tell the tale of a sly shape called Triangle.

Triangle lives in a triangular house, with a triangular space for a door. He decides to leave his home among the outcroppings of triangles, venture past the shapes with no names, and travel to Square’s home among the squares with the purpose of playing a trick. When he arrives, he stands outside Square’s square-shaped door and hisses. Square thinks it is snakes and is afraid. For one wordless spread, Square eyes Triangle with silent fury. Then, Square pursues Triangle back through the squares, the nameless shapes and the triangles to Triangle’s home where suddenly Square becomes lodged in Triangle’s triangular door.

This is one suave Geisel contender. From the matte cover to the rounded corners to the triangular text block on the copyright page, this book is a pleasure to hold and to read. Like Barnett and Klassen’s other works, Triangle is marked by a sort of savvy simplicity. With minimalist illustrations that make sophisticated use of white space and text that conveys as much by what it leaves out as what it includes, this is a book that asks readers form their own opinions.

The story is told in straightforward sentences, printed in clear 18 point font in a consistent location on the page. Clever design choices guide the reader’s interpretation of the text and the plot. The words match Triangle’s journey as he marches from left to right from page to page to Square’s house, then right to left as he retreats. Key words are repeated throughout the text, allowing the reader to develop familiarity with the vocabulary.

Triangle’s spartan narrative technique gives the reader many openings for interpretation. Will beginning readers thrill to those possibilities? Or will the narrative understanding required to interpret the book prove too much of a distraction to a new reader?

It’s a spare, stylish read that challenges and supports readers in equal measure.