Dystopian Storytime

I've always loved it when people tell me a story. That's why, as a special feature of Dystopian August, I am going to tell you guys a story. Two stories in fact! This i s largely an experimental feature. We'll see how it goes. Let me know if you like it!

BAAA

Author: David Macaulay
Pages: 64
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Source: Bought

Description from Goodreads:
After the last person has gone from the earth, sheep take over the world, make the same mistakes as humans, and eventually disappear as well.

Review:
BAAAA by David Macualay is, without a doubt, my favorite picture book of all time, due, largely, to the fact that it is one of the least appropriate for children picture books. BAAA would fall, I suppose, under the heading of post-apocalyptic perhaps more than dystopian, since clearly something happened to clear out all of the humans, though it's really not clear what since they left good behind as well as undamaged good. That part is a mystery, a creepy, creepy mystery.

This picture book will likely horrify any children that happen to read it, assuming they figure out that soylent green is people. Because of that fact, this book has never been particularly successful. The picture book format targets very young readers, but the subject matter and dark humor, with lots of intelligent references (Casablanca is one), make this a treasure for adults, who will, likely, never discover it. Most libraries, I believe, do not carry it, and, if they do, probably not in the picture book section.

BAAA is an underrated gem of a book, coming at twice the length of the standard picture book. This is one to buy and enjoy for yourself, not to share with the kiddies.

Vlog:

The Little Stormdancer

Author: Jay Kristoff
Pages: 20
Publisher: Self-Published

Source: Won from Claire Legrand

Description from Me:
A picture book companion to Jay's fantabulous steampunk dystopia Stormdancer.

Review:
As you may have already seen, I loved Jay Kristoff's Stormdancer with my whole heart. You should check out my review and interview of Jay while you're here. Or not. You know. Whatever.

This picture book proves that Jay has EVEN MORE TALENT. Like he needed it. Seriously, can't you leave any talents for the regular people? You do know people are boring without flaws, right?

In The Little Stormdancer, an incredibly brief, simple tale set in the same world as Stormdancer, you get to follow Yukiko on a journey through a land filled with smoke and noisy machines in search of the animals. The pictures are incredibly precious. Though I'm not generally a fan of the chibi style of art (gasp, I know), Yukiko and Buroo are so freaking adorable this way that I want to love them and squeeze them and put them in my pocket and keep them with me forever.

Vlog:

Remember: Every comment on a post during Dystopian August is an entry to win one of fourteen dystopian/post-apocalyptic novels IF you've filled out the form from this post.