Children's Book Review – A Place for Ben
Perspectives on Jeanne Titherington’s Classic Story
Nov 4, 2009
Coping with a new addition to the family almost always presents a challenge to first-born children. In this story, young Ben struggles with the frustrating lack of privacy accompanying the arrival of his baby brother Ezra. Author and illustrator Titherington uses straightforward text and a sensitive chiaroscuro to describe Ben’s journey toward a new frame of mind.
Themes Explored in A Place for Ben
Because Ben struggles to escape his newly crowded bedroom, the story at first seems to revolve around a search for identity and independence. Ben eventually carves out a sanctuary in the dimly-lit garage, but this proves to be a sort of clubhouse for one, which, Ben soon realizes, borders on absurdity.
An alternate theme then emerges: Ben isn’t interested in walling himself off so much as he is in clarifying his place within his family. He tries to round up companions to join him in his freshly pioneered territory, but he can’t seem to recruit anyone. Thus, when a follow-up invasion by little Ezra occurs, Ben experiences relief and even reassurance.
Narrative Structure and Devices in the Story
Titherington quickly creates and escalates the dramatic situation, with Ben striking out on his own by page two. Wary of conventional surroundings, he follows something of a hero’s quest, venturing into the house’s dark places (attic, basement, garage) and arming himself with the proper tools for hide-out construction. He even posts a warning to others, roughly equivalent to “Enter these enchanted woods ye who dare.”
True to a hero’s best quality, all of Ben’s actions are his own. Dissatisfaction with the world sets them in motion but he pursues them to their logical end, at which he undergoes a personal transformation. Along the way he interacts with all manner of creatures and potential allies, including his mother and father, who appear unwilling or unable to help him. In their aloofness, however, they help to guide Ben toward his destiny.
Language and Text in A Place for Ben
Titherington has refrained from flowery and overly serious wording. She shares the story in plain language, letting the reader sense Ben’s moods and objectives from his actions. Her choice isn’t necessarily inevitable, and the text could actually stand a bit of trimming here and there, proving that abstinence from showiness or ostentation doesn’t always equal an economy of words.
However valid the above complaint is in certain areas of the book, the last sentence displays a masterful sense of pared-down language. Ezra is never named as Ben’s final choice of a comrade, but (with the help of the closing image) the reader knows exactly what is happening. All in all, the writing does its job, and therefore requires neither praise nor apologies.
Artwork and Design Elements in the Book
Executed in a crisp pencil medium, the pictures in A Place for Ben display an admirable realism well-suited to the simple family drama. The color palette is muted but resonant. Postures and expressions are for the most part naturalistic, although a few have a slightly stilted quality, as if they have been too easily adapted from photographs.
Titherington’s light effects are her strongest suit. Shadows gently model the faces of the boys, their animal acquaintances, and various household objects. It isn’t an exaggeration to call these scenes cinematic, and (if such an arrangement hasn’t already been made) one could imagine wanting to shoot a film adaptation of this sweet, unassuming story.
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