Title: Ike’s Incredible Ink
Author/Illustrator: Brianne Farley
Age Group: 3-6
Synopsis: Ike is determined to write an amazing story, right after he finds the extremely rare ingredients for the perfect ink.
The Lowdown:
I am willing to admit that I can be a bit of a procrastinator. Sometimes it’s not a big deal. Sometimes it’s little procrastinations like I need a cookie before I start cleaning the bathroom. The sugar will give me an energy boost. Sometimes it’s a bit bigger. Like I need to finish reading this book now instead of cleaning the bathroom so I don’t read it later instead of cleaning the bathroom. And honestly is that last one really procrastinating? I mean, honestly, I’m finishing the book. The point is, is that although the bathroom features in a lot of my examples I also procrastinate things I’m excited but nervous about. Like sending out query letters. Sending them off is equal parts hope and terrifying. Every time I know I should be doing it I suddenly think of something much more pressing that I should do instead. Like clean that bathroom that I keep putting off. Farley taps into that in her story, illustrating that although something can be daunting and a struggle, it can also lead us to where we want to go.
When we first meet Ike, he’s in the library and convinced that since he’s read so many amazing stories that he too can create one. The only problem is he can’t think of what to write. After some fabulous procrastinating he decides that the issue must lie with the type of ink he’s using. He’s determined to make his own ink and he begins by collecting the shadow of his chair. His ingredients are far from ordinary and the collection of such a wondrous assortment take Ike on adventures to unexpected places. Finally with all his ingredients assembled he’s able to create his concoction and as a result, his story. A story of a fabulous journey to invent the most incredible ink.
Farley’s illustrations play a bit with the idea of ink and embrace what must be a thriving imagination. Ike, himself, is mainly constructed from an ink blot that transforms with his emotions. When he’s angry or frustrated it shoots out, when he’s thoughtful it’s soft, etc. As tempting as it may have been, Farley restrains from littering each page with ink blots and allowing the focus to remain on Ike. One exception is during Ike’s own ink creation process when a blender explodes and the result is pretty spectacular. The rest of the book appears to be done in pen and collage which gives a very interesting effect. One that begs the reader to examine fine details on each page. 
Ike’s journey becomes his story in Ike’s Incredible Ink, a wonderful turn of events that creates a very special type of closure in the book. I wish procrastination always worked out so well but I think what Farley is expressing is that if we focus solely on the goal and forget all the steps and processes that we have to go through to get there, we’ll end up missing some pretty great experiences. Or at least that’s what I’ll tell myself in order to get that bathroom clean.
Story Tips:
- Keep an eye out for the fun details that are hidden throughout the book.
- For little readers help them identify Ike’s emotions by looking at his ink blot.
I need more!
Brianne Farley has a great collection of books available that she’s illustrated but the only other that she’s authored as well is Secret Tree Fort. Keep an eye out for her most recent collaboration Building Books. For more information check out her very well updated website: http://www.briannefarley.com/books/
