Me and You and the Red Canoe

Starred review from June 15, 2017
Free-verse poetry full of sensory details, evocative language, and repetition pair with scratchy illustrations in the greens, browns, and blues of the natural world to capture a morning of fishing from a red canoe. The first-person narrator and "you," an unidentified child-adult pair, crawl out of the tent to a purple morning and mist on the water. The paddle dips "in and out, / in and out, / in and out." They spy a moose, a beaver with a stick, and an eagle and its nest, and they hear the chittering of a squirrel. The sun comes up. All the while, the child has a line in the water: "You paddled. / We waited." Though the text builds up to the landing of a trout, it doesn't feel any more or less magical than the rest of the book, though the pace does increase to match the fight: "Then silver leapt from / water to sky, / soared from / sky to water / and landed with a splash / beside the red canoe." The fish, fried in butter over the fire, is the "best breakfast / ever." Pendziwol incorporates details for all five senses, inviting readers along. The verses and pictures are on facing pages, the former against a textured, painted-wood background, sometimes with a tiny supporting illustration. Illustrator Phil's red canoe stands out against the nature scenes, though readers never spy its occupants up-close. Facial expression may be absent, but the emotion and wonder of this morning are marvelously clear. Evocative, lyrical, perfect. (Picture book. 4-10)

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June 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 2-Two siblings, a lush forest, a red canoe, and a love of adventure and exploration. These are the elements that Pendziwol weaves into this stunning book celebrating friendship across the backdrop of the Canadian landscape. Narrated by one of the boys, the story is structured into paragraphs arranged like poetry, with frequent use of rhymes and repetition that gives it an intriguing musical cadence. The text alternates between the pronouns "I," "you," and "we." This rhythm animates the text effectively. The artistic nature of the text is rivaled by the stunning illustrations on wooden panels. Fine acrylic details bring the forest and its animals to life. The artwork is so striking that it will attract even very young children who may not engage with the text. VERDICT A true gem that invites contemplation and reflection in children, who are often too busy to notice the beauty of everyday life. Best shared one-on-one.-Katherine Hickey, Metropolitan Library System, Oklahoma City

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