l to r: Naseem Hrab (Credit: Connie Tsang) and John Martz.

Beginnings and endings get all the attention, but this perspective-shifting picture book by Governor General’s Award–winning author Naseem Hrab espouses that the real action happens in the often-overlooked middle. Readers discover the myriad little in-between moments that make up an ordinary day, as depicted by a young girl, her older brother, their dad, and their assorted pets.

An unseen narrator gets the philosophical ball rolling and provocatively posits, “There is space between all moments. Just look at this page … You think you know what’s going to happen next, until you flip the …” The cheeky surprise revealed upon the page turn defies expectations and humorously hammers home the notion of focusing on possibilities instead of foregone conclusions.

Presenting relatable experiences using poetic language makes the abstract concepts easy to understand. Some in-betweens are “as sweet and swift as the moment before your dad’s kiss meets your forehead.” Other instances are more fraught and “wibble-wobble before making up their minds,” like a scoop of ice cream on a cone that might be about to splat on the ground.

Illustration: John Martz.

How one feels about the in-between often depends “on where you are in your journey.” The prospect of pedalling up a steep hill seems daunting to the little girl on a bicycle with training wheels; it’s a completely different, smooth-riding prospect for her big brother on a skateboard at the top.

Encouraging close inspection, small connective details abound in the playful cartoon vignettes by illustrator and book designer extraordinaire John Martz (including nods to jacket covers of previous books by Hrab and Martz). Clever use of typography and page layout reinforce meanings. An extended series of panels mimics the “l o n g” in-between wait for a “triple … layer … confetti … cake” to be sliced.   

Far from being empty spaces, in-betweens are revealed to have the potential to change the course of events, offering breathing room and time to reflect, like the “pause you need before you say (or do!) something you wish you hadn’t.”

Cerebral in a breezy way, there is much to ponder between the pages of this thoughtfully and artfully conceived concept book.