Orb of Chatham

by Staake Bob

With his own stunning black-and-white artwork, Cape Cod author-illustrator Bob Staake tells the tale of five witnesses who vanished inexplicably after reporting a strange floating Orb in Chatham, Massachusetts, in 1935.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2005

Reviews

[Danger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creepy little children's book so short it almost doesn't exist. There's no story, but the design and illustrations are pretty nice.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truth be told, I bought this book for me. But my son saw it when I opened the package, and he said "Have it!" I'm not even going to try to explain to a little boy why he can't have a picture book, so I bought another copy -- problem solved.

I bought this book for the illustrations. You may not know Staake's name, but most likely you know his artwork; it often graces the covers of the New Yorker, and shows up in many other places. His works features clean lines, remarkable shading, and simple subject that virtually jumps off the page. It is always beautiful, in a sort of modern Art Deco way. The illustrations in this book are all that and a bit of film noir -- and nothing short of breathtakingly brilliant.

The story, which I thought would be secondary in this book, surprised me with its Goreyesque quality. I was delighted. And heartened, because even though Edward Gorey is no longer with us, Bob Staake still very much is.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this in the actual town of Chatham to add to my graphic novel collection. I even did the online puzzle, etc. and while that wasn't too interesting, I love the artwork in the book.