The Pink Refrigerator Review

The Pink Refrigerator
by Tim Egan

I'm a creature of habit. If my husband didn't move me cross-country every few years, I'd be covered in cobwebs by now. I like Dodsworth, the mouse in this story who owns a resale shop. His daily routine's enviable--he does just enough to get by, then relaxes and watches TV. This is bad?

Then on one of his daily rounds to the junk yard, he spies a discarded pink refrigerator with a note tacked on: "make pictures." Inside, he finds a sketchbook, paints and brushes.

He doesn't hit on instant inspiration, that day or any of the other days he goes back to discover different notes: "read more" or "play music" or, lastly, "keep exploring." His is a gradual awakening to the possibilities, until the refrigerator stands empty and the call to adventure must come from within Dodsworth instead.

This is a fine message for both parent and child, to challenge yourself with a few new amusements, preferably the artsy-fartsy kind that don't involve serious risk of injury. I took away from this the idea that you can enliven even an already happy existence without great expense, equipped solely with the desire to tap into some dormant creative vein.

Egan's muted colors and simple line drawings keep us on-message--clear away the clutter, focus on what's fun, and recapture some essential part of yourself. Dodsworth's the tweedy, dignified sort in his tidy, upscale little shop, and his transformation feels fully in character.