Camosun writing instructor Laurie Elmquist’s new book Where’s Burgess? paints a world that children can relate to and that will take adult readers back many years, suddenly immersed in the world of nine-year-old protagonist Reece. Children’s literature is an underappreciated genre, which is unfortunate when works like this are out there. Elmquist writes with both the psychology of a developing brain and the innocence of youth in mind.
In the book, Reece has lost his frog, Burgess, and is also coping with his parents’ trial separation. Elmquist tackles some of the hardest situations that can come up in a child’s life: loss, love, and social insecurity, to name a few. She says a lot with relatively few words here, and she does so with a crippling innocence that breaks the reader’s heart. After anyone learns about these topics through the pain they cause, they’re never the same. And that’s okay; it’s supposed to happen. It’s growing up.
The double meanings, similes, and metaphors Elmquist uses are gut-wrenching. Where’s Burgess? will teach children readers realities of the world, but they are told in such an eloquent Elmquist way that they’ll want more when the book is done.
Amidst the sadness of this book, the family keeps living and loving; the strong connection shown between Reece and his sister is one of cynical kindness, as bonds so often are between siblings.
I was shocked at how incredibly real this story was, and I empathized with Reece as he learned the value and purpose of letting go and moving forward.
The illustrations in the book are excellent and put on the page exactly what was in my mind; they’re also a nice break from the text when young readers might need a breather, which they will, because this book is tough on the heart. But it’s also enduring and memorable. It has the perfect amount of complexity. It is a wonderfully modern story of how connection can combat devastation.
Elmquist is a true children’s writer. She doesn’t just ease children into literature with this book; she eases them the world.