THINGS IN THE BASEMENT

THINGS IN THE BASEMENT by Ben Hatke

Things in the Basement by Ben Hatke is not just a fall read. However, I have put it here for those of you who enjoy a little thrill and chill this time of year!

The idea of Things in the Basement is brilliant. It is a graphic novel that encompasses just about every child's thoughts of their basement and the unknowns that could exist there. Thinking back I'm pretty sure all my kids went through a stage where they refused to go in the basement by themselves. Hatke understands and brings this childhood fear to life.

In the novel we are introduced to Milo. One of Milo's infant twin sister's socks is missing. His mother sends him into the basement of the home they have just moved into to find it. What starts out as a trip to a traditional dark, dank basement quickly turns out to be quite the journey. Milo discovers that his basement is actually a series of rooms, chambers, and caverns. During his search for the missing sock, he encounters a skull, the ghost of a young woman (who has been searching for her missing sock for years), a green jelly monster that gobbles up everything in its path, strange little mushroom guys, a one-eyed octopus, and more. It is a long quest that will test Milo's bravery, develop perseverance, and help him understand what it means to be a friend (even to some unique creatures). We also find out where all the missing socks in the world go!

HEADS UP- As mentioned before there is a skull, ghost, and other unique creatures that take the trip with Milo. He is asked if he is a wizard due to some of his traveling companions. The one part that bothers me a bit is when they enter into a Gothic-styled church. There is some type of woman there who is obviously a sort of caretaker of the church. She also has goats. She is dressed like a nun, but she has no face. Where her features should be is a cross. One of her goats is missing. The goat has a very unique name - Ibn Battuta. The real Ibn Battuta was a Muslim who lived in the 1300s. He was quite the traveler which fits this goat. There are some objects in the church and in this book that I wish I knew more about. They are a little odd and although I hate making assumptions, I get the feeling that Hatke is purposeful behind what he draws into his pictures. I looked for interviews to see if he discusses it at all, but not yet. After the book is out for awhile maybe we'll know more about it. Hatke does thank the National Gallery of Art for their "inspiration" and also database of open-license pieces that he uses in his work in his acknowledgements.