Manuel Guzman recently sent us a digital copy of his children’s picture book, In Search of Sacha. With everything we’ve had going on with Cirsova recently [submissions, Wild Stars, and gearing up for 2024], I’ve only recently had a chance to read it, but I wish I had gotten to it sooner, because it was an absolute delight.
In Search of Sacha is a mythopoetic adventure throughout which a father and mother pursue the trail of their missing son through a series of uncanny situations and encounters with the realm of faerie.
The story is written in present tense, which I’m usually against, but it works for this sort of picture book, where the action is shown side-by-side with the narration.
The art is gorgeous, with luscious scenes full of intricate detail worth pausing on and studying. Paired with the mythic language, it creates an evocative mood, both melancholy and hopeful.
The text is a little advanced: this is one that you would want to read to and with your kids, as it could be very challenger for younger readers. The story is a little longer and denser than the typical picture book, so it may even need to be broken up into chunks.
My only real complaint about the book is the lettering. I think it could benefit from a second edition with improved lettering–a bolder typeface with either border stroke or appropriate glows/dropshadows for readability. In several places, the white lettering against brighter backgrounds and the black lettering against darker backgrounds fade out of legibility and detract from the overall quality of this book.
As a standalone work, there is room for improvement on the overall presentation, though there is still much to recommend it. As a portfolio piece, In Search of Sasha is stunning, showcasing a wide range of both portraiture and dynamic artwork.
Manuel Guzman’s various sites and social media can be found through his linktree here.
Cirsova 