The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers April Spisak Eggers, Dave The Eyes and the Impossible; illus. by Shawn Harris. Knopf, 2023 [256p] Library ed. ISBN 9781524764210 $21.99 Trade ed. ISBN 9781524764203 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781524764227 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 4-7 Johannes is a quicker-than-lightning dog, spotting everything as he explores the park where he and other animals live, and his speed and dutiful reports of the park’s ongoings have made him essential to the Keepers of the Equilibrium (three wise [End Page 325] but cloistered bison). A new building sparks a series of events that lead to Johannes discovering human art, being captured for the first time ever, finding out his true lineage, and, ultimately, outgrowing what he imagined the rest of his life would be. Johannes’ escape from captivity, aided by the motliest of inter-species crews, demonstrates the closeness of the animals in the park and how important Johannes is to the balance (and goodness) of their home. Johannes is a brilliant narrator as he speculates wildly (he estimates the bison, for example, to be six thousand years old), approaches life with a mixture of experience and wonder, wryly comments on the unreliability of ducks, and captures the world around him with a poetic framing that makes everything seem amazing. In a brief author’s note, Eggers emphasizes that none of these animals are human stand-ins: this is a world where humans are mostly destructive and not central to the story other than as beings to be avoided. The goats are laser-focused on goat things (e.g. eating), the raccoons are cranky if woken during the day, and the seagulls are dramatic as heck, an accurate assessment of their nature. Double-page spreads reproduce famous landscape painting, mostly from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, with a speedy Johannes cleverly integrated to create the striking, memorable artwork; a note at the end offers readers more information about each of the original paintings. Animal lovers will be enthralled, and even for readers who mostly stick with humans, this is a standout example of the power of chosen family rather than biological ones. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois