Jeannie Baker’s books are always a delight for the eyes.  Her clever collages create intricately detailed versions of our world, filled with tiny observations and jokes that have you searching like a “Where’s Wally” competition.  She uses an incredible range of materials – leaves, sand, cloth, card, feathers, and she even knits tiny jumpers and hats for characters in the pictures.

But her books also have a lot, lot more in them.  Sneaking up on you as you wander through the details are Baker’s very strong messages about community and the environment. 

Where the Forest meets the Sea and The Story of Rosy Dock looked at humanity’s effect on natural environments, while Window tackled urban sprawl as a country view is overtaken by the city.

Belonging is a companion to Window  but it reverses the view.  It uses the same format of a sequence of views out of the one window over a 20 year period, but this time it is a depressed inner city slum that is renewed by the people living there.

We can follow the story of a baby girl growing up (in two year jumps) until she brings home her own child a generation later.  Birthday cards, school reports, diary entries and letters from friends sit on the window sill to give us clues to the changes in her life.  But outside a revolution is gradually taking place!

The dusty, dirty streets show a detail here and there for each new view – someone plants a tree, run down buildings are renovated, vacant blocks become parks.  The change is gradual and you can miss something happening at first glance, only realizing later when it starts affecting its surroundings.

This seems to be Baker’s key point – lots of gradual little changes can take over the world!  Belonging is a very hopeful book, much more optimistic than Window .  It is a delight to look at, and it might just make you think about what you could do.

Review by David Beagley

© 2004 David Beagley