Eat the Sky and Drink the Ocean

by Kirsty Murray

[Kelly]

http://www.divabooknerd.com/2015/02/anthology-eat-sky-drink-ocean-mini.html
Eat The Sky, Drink The Ocean is a compilation of both whimsical and illustrated short stories from both Australian and Indian Authors that stemmed from the power of women all around the world. Each story is based on a dystopian alternate reality and range from the engaging and quirky, to the strange yet enthralling. From the Australian dystopian story by Justine Larbalestier, author of Razorhurst comes Little Red Suit. The storyline follows Poppy, a girl who lives underground after decades of drought. Now cities are nothing more than ruins, which Poppy will need to navigate to reach her grandmother's house. Taking inspiration from Little Red Riding Hood, it's unique and packs a real punch. I would love to see it developed into a full length novel.

Each story wavers between dystopian, fantasy and magic realism, And although each are written by a different author, compliment each other beautifully. I loved the inclusion of the illustrated stories, but none more so than Swallow The Moon which is written and illustrated by Kate Constable and Priya Kuriyan. It tells the story of a community who now calls the forest home, where the young women make the long journey to the ocean, where they participate in a naming ceremony in the waters above a submerged civilization. A strong environmental message, it's powerful and beautifully illustrated.

Cooking Time is a quirky take on the worldwide Masterchef. In a world where citizens are fed by nutrition packs, the show offers contestants the opportunity to travel back through time to locations all over the world, where fresh food was still available. Contestants are the envy of the nation.

With seventeen incredible stories, including six beautifully illustrated from authors such as Kirsty Murray, Payal Dhar, Anita Roy, Samhita Arni, Alyssa Brugman, Isobelle Carmody, Kate Constable, Nicki Greenberg, Priya Kuriyan, Margo Lanagan, Justine Larbalestier and more. This compilation is the perfect gift for lovers of the written word. I loved it. Overall, it was incredibly engaging and charming and the transition from each story flowed beautifully from the selection of authors that complimented one another. One of the best young adult anthologies published.