Indi Surfs

Gorman, a photographer and surfer himself, draws inspiration from close to home (his daughter is named Indi) as he follows a young surfer through her day. From the opening pages, in-your-face type and equally arresting b&w images create a visceral sense of Indi’s power and competence. “Indi is a surfer,” Gorman begins, opposite a head-on portrait of the girl, who stares solemnly at readers, strands of her short-cropped hair swirling. “She lives on an island. The beach is her playground.” Light teal accents begin to bleed into the b&w imagery in screenprint-like images that have the feel of a digital update of Robert McCloskey’s work. The blue of the ocean gives way to a warning shade of pink in a sequence in which Indi is knocked off her surfboard and “falls... and she falls... and she falls,” as Gorman shows her being tossed by powerful, towering waves. “She never gives up,” he continues as Indi rests on her board, catching her breath in calmer water. Readers won’t need to live anywhere near the sea to recognize Indi’s strength, determination, and capability. Ages 3–7. (June)