A meaningful and visually lovely nature tale despite a few bumps in the rhyme scheme.
A First Nations child learns important lessons from wildlife in this debut illustrated children’s book.
This thoughtful tale, inspired by the Canadian author’s First Nations heritage, follows an Ojibway child on a journey of discovery through the forest, encountering animals and absorbing what they have to teach about the way they live. Soulful in tone, the rhyming, first-person narrative begins with a glimpse of a majestic eagle soaring overhead, the warmth of Grandfather Sun, and a nap in Mother Earth’s embrace. The kid’s respectful encounters with a bear, a beaver, a buffalo, a gray wolf, a turtle, and a gentle “sabe” (sasquatch or Bigfoot in the Ojibway language) bring key lessons in courage, wisdom, respect, humility, truth, and honesty. In the evening, the child returns home under Grandmother Moon, protected by the sabe (“He walked with me almost all the way, so I was not alone”). Genuine emotional resonance comes through in the text despite some unevenness in Parisian’s rhyming cadence (“Suddenly a Bear peered through the trees. / It made me feel weak in my knees….Watching the Beaver, I almost missed what stood behind the trees. / There stood an animal, again I felt weak in my knees”). The author’s uplifting message is enhanced by the story’s full-color, mixed-media illustrations of the animals, scenes of the forest and the changing sky, and the Ojibway child in traditional dress. Rendered in watercolor, chalk, and pencil by First Nations artist Fontaine, these dreamlike images alternate with pages of clear, black text. The somewhat murky picture on the book’s cover doesn’t do the beautiful interior illustrations justice.
A meaningful and visually lovely nature tale despite a few bumps in the rhyme scheme.Pub Date: Oct. 26, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-228-86546-9
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Tellwell Talent
Review Posted Online: June 20, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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