Faraway Valley is closer to home than we may realize, and we must all protect it.
Two bears make a miraculous journey.
A little bear asks Grandpa about the postcard on his fridge depicting a beautiful landscape. “That’s Faraway Valley,” Grandpa says. It’s a distant place, home to wonderful animals. The child yearns to go; Grandpa promises they will. They make a long voyage by sea. Upon arrival, they set out on a difficult woodsy trail. They eventually find a ruined landscape that looks nothing like their postcard. Bitterly disappointed, they surmise that they’ve arrived “too late” and prepare to leave. But a crashing sound behind them stops them: Faraway Valley’s storied animals—an elk, wolf, fox, goat, and others—appear, beckoning them to follow through woods and hills. Next morning, the bears awaken to a breathtaking view and know that this is actually their longed-for destination. That night, Grandpa says he’ll remain permanently to protect the land, but it’s the cub’s duty to go back home and teach others to “love the places of beauty we have left.” Back at school, the little bear recounts the adventure and vows to return one day. This gentle clarion call to protect Earth’s wild spaces was originally published in Sweden, then translated into English for publication in Scotland. Its message should be heard globally, in every language. Delicately lovely watercolor, gouache, pastel, and digital illustrations capture our planet’s fragile beauty.
Faraway Valley is closer to home than we may realize, and we must all protect it. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 9, 2024
ISBN: 9781782508540
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Floris
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with...
Reynolds and Brown have crafted a Halloween tale that balances a really spooky premise with the hilarity that accompanies any mention of underwear.
Jasper Rabbit needs new underwear. Plain White satisfies him until he spies them: “Creepy underwear! So creepy! So comfy! They were glorious.” The underwear of his dreams is a pair of radioactive-green briefs with a Frankenstein face on the front, the green color standing out all the more due to Brown’s choice to do the entire book in grayscale save for the underwear’s glowing green…and glow they do, as Jasper soon discovers. Despite his “I’m a big rabbit” assertion, that glow creeps him out, so he stuffs them in the hamper and dons Plain White. In the morning, though, he’s wearing green! He goes to increasing lengths to get rid of the glowing menace, but they don’t stay gone. It’s only when Jasper finally admits to himself that maybe he’s not such a big rabbit after all that he thinks of a clever solution to his fear of the dark. Brown’s illustrations keep the backgrounds and details simple so readers focus on Jasper’s every emotion, writ large on his expressive face. And careful observers will note that the underwear’s expression also changes, adding a bit more creep to the tale.
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with Dr. Seuss’ tale of animate, empty pants. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0298-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
The dynamic interaction between the characters invites readers to take risks, push boundaries, and have a little unscripted...
Reinvention is the name of the game for two blobs of clay.
A blue-eyed gray blob and a brown-eyed brown blob sit side by side, unsure as to what’s going to happen next. The gray anticipates an adventure, while the brown appears apprehensive. A pair of hands descends, and soon, amid a flurry of squishing and prodding and poking and sculpting, a handsome gray wolf and a stately brown owl emerge. The hands disappear, leaving the friends to their own devices. The owl is pleased, but the wolf convinces it that the best is yet to come. An ear pulled here and an extra eye placed there, and before you can shake a carving stick, a spurt of frenetic self-exploration—expressed as a tangled black scribble—reveals a succession of smug hybrid beasts. After all, the opportunity to become a “pig-e-phant” doesn’t come around every day. But the sound of approaching footsteps panics the pair of Picassos. How are they going to “fix [them]selves” on time? Soon a hippopotamus and peacock are staring bug-eyed at a returning pair of astonished hands. The creative naiveté of the “clay mates” is perfectly captured by Petty’s feisty, spot-on dialogue: “This was your idea…and it was a BAD one.” Eldridge’s endearing sculpted images are photographed against the stark white background of an artist’s work table to great effect.
The dynamic interaction between the characters invites readers to take risks, push boundaries, and have a little unscripted fun of their own . (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 20, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-316-30311-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017
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