Paul Briggs

A young boy loses his breath in this creative picture-book exploration of some of the common sayings and ideas about this most vital part of our lives, and sets out to find it again. Searching everywhere from under his grandpa, who tends to grumble under his breath, to inside his dog's mouth (his brother having told him he has dog's breath), the boy looks everywhere before finally finding what he seeks...

Part of the new Walt Disney Animation Studios Artist Showcase picture-book series being published by Disney-Hyperion, intended to highlight the independent work of animators and artists working for Disney Studios, Catch My Breath is an engaging, creative exploration of some of the sayings about breath, one in which figurative language is played out in a more realistic way. The artwork, drawn (obviously) in a cartoon-style, has a limited palette - sepia brown for the boy, pink for his breath, bluish-green for the fish in the sea - but is quite expressive all the same. Recommended to anyone looking for new picture-books that address figurative versus literal language, or who is interested to see what Disney's animators get up to when not working on their famous films.… (meer)