What an incredible book! These are some of my favorite illustrations! And it is all done by the same person (Shelley Jackson)! I like the fact that there is no author's note, because the interpretation of this story could take a reader into several directions, depending on the his/her lenses or circumstances. An old woman lives under a wave her entire life. She scolds the wave, and is always prepared for the wave to fall down on her; however, that does not happen. As a matter of fact, the wave loves the woman, takes care of her, and wants to help her. One day, the woman meets a traveler who makes her to acknowledge her curiosity of the world away from her little house for the first time. Only when the lady loses her dog in the wave and goes up to get it back that she realizes how wrong she was her entire life. She finally sees the beauty of the world from atop and it transforms her. The woman and the dog allow the water bring them further and further towards the mountains and the unknown, they are gone forever. This story is written beautifully, it is a true pleasure to read and to look at. It is a masterpiece about being afraid of taking chances, not going for your dreams, or just surviving instead of living. I had to stop and study the illustrations, that is how different, meaningful and beautiful they are. Pictures are combined with words and symbols, what an interesting collage of hidden messages and ideas! Will definitely reread several times! ( )

A story of a woman who doesn't realize that keeping herself from riding the adventurous wave her life should have taken was wasting her opportunity to live the life she deserved. It was a funny story at the same time as being a cleverly meaningful one. Nicely arranged. ( )

An out of the ordinary fable: glimpses of genius in the extended metaphor and the illustrations, though the writing trips over itself at times. Reminded me a bit of Kobo Abe's The Woman in the Dunes. ( )