Book Review: The Secret Kingdom by Michele Bledsoe, Richard Bledsoe

The Secret Kingdom is a combination of images and poetry celebrating the world of dreams in picturebook format by Michele Bledsoe and Richard Bledsoe.  Michele Bledsoe has been exhibiting her paintings and drawings in art galleries for almost 20 years. Inspired by the beautifully illustrated children’s books she grew up with, Michele started creating art when she was a child—and never stopped. With The Secret Kingdom, Michele Bledsoe hopes to inspire a new generation of artists to share her lifetime love of creating pictures. Art is for everyone, and The Secret Kingdom is a place that welcomes children of all ages.

The Secret Kingdom is less of a bedtime story, as it is marketed, and more of a book with the ability to inspire the interested, or either bore or frighten the uninterested. I enjoyed the flow of the poetry, and the related images were interesting and unique. Not a story or narrative, rather a book to display artwork with matching poetry that focuses on the power of dreams, art, and words.

I do no think this is a book for the typical picturebook, or even older picturebook crowd. The Secret Kingdom is a book best suited for those already with an interested in creating art, poetry, any kind or creative endeavor used to capture dreams and share them with others. From the descriptions I read, I expected more of a story or letter to young artists than I found in the pages, but it might find a special place in the collections of artists of all ages.