Book review: Flood by Alvaro F. Vila

Flood by Alvaro F. Vila

Hardcover, 32 pages

Published January 1st 2013 by Picture Window Books

A beautiful wordless picture book about the effects of a flood on a family and their home.

The beauty of Mother Nature can change instantly into something else, something completely different and dangerous. Illustrator Alvaro F. Vila's picture book, Flood, showcases this with its tale of one family as they deal with the preparation for and the subsequent aftermath of a flood. Without one word, the stark illustrations convey the emotion, the details, the feelings and reality of a storm. As a father covers the windows of their house, mother gazes upon her two children as they go about their day watching TV and such. As night falls, the parents worry about those gray clouds rolling in. There is also the importance of community as neighbors drive over the next day to erect sandbag walls to hold back the river. 

The author and illustrator of Flood doesn't sugarcoat the viciousness of weather and its occasional tragedy. When the family returns to see what remains of their home, the perseverance of the human spirit and the importance of family shows through. What we lose can either be repaired or replaced but the family stays together. Flood can illicit such strong emotions while revealing a telling tale with the sheer power of its imagery. I was thoroughly taken with this picture book.

Rating: 4

Cover comment:

Powerful and engaging.

Book source:

I received a hardcover copy from the publisher in return for my honest review. Thanks to Capstone and Picture Window Press Books.