Dawn Foster's Reviews > The Eyes and the Impossible

The Eyes and the Impossible was awarded the Newbery Medal for 2024. I had not heard of this book; I had not read any reviews or heard reference to it in the past year, which made me want to read it all the more. The Newbery is awarded every year to the author of what is considered the most outstanding children's book of the year. The medal was established to encourage creative writing for children.
This year's winner is indeed creative; there will be children who will love the fantasy of animals protecting one another, living on a fantastical island and surviving among humans. But those readers, I venture to guess, will be older than what this book is intended for, and younger readers may struggle with remembering which animal is called what human name and what their unique skill is. Some kids will struggle with the human-like qualities of the animals and THEIR struggles for survival. Also, the metaphors may be difficult to understand for younger readers.

I'm a little disappointed in this book and struggled with trying to determine exactly what the Newbery committee saw in this book that made it the best of 2024.