"I sit shyly in the front seat of the car next to the stranger who is my father, my legs pulled up under the too-large wool shirt I am wearing. I practice his name to myself, whispering it under my breath. Daddy. Daddy. Saying it feels new. The war has lasted so long. He has been gone so long."
In this quiet, contemplative book we meet Liz and her father. They are tentative in their relationship because Dad has been away at war; and they are struggling to find common ground in a new relationship. They are on a hunting trip and Liz is somewhat fearful. Daddy has put her in charge of the crow call.
She's wearing her plaid shirt, that is much too big but comforting and comfortable. She remembers the day her Dad bought that shirt...she had coveted it since the first day she spied it in a store window. Her sister was aghast but Dad was supportive, and suggested with a smile that she would never outgrow it. Now, she is wearing it on their first ever hunting trip. The place chosen to hunt crows is not far, and soon the two are trekking through the woods in search of their quarry. As they walk Liz asks him about the war, and the fear. During their conversation she remembers that she fears the word hunter. When they get where they are going, Liz uses the crow call and from out of nowhere, they are surrounded by many black birds making a raucous noise.
I don't want to spoil your pleasure in this wonderful story, so I will leave it at that. Now, I want to mention the stunning artwork. Using brown and tan watercolors, with hints of coral and blue, Bagram Ibatoulline fashions a 1940s world in the fall, to match the soft reflection of the renewed relationship between a little girl and her father. The double page painting at the centre of the book is awesome, and just happens to be the favorite of the author. It is a perfect match to the perfect words that Lois Lowry has written in her first picture book for children after a long and illustrious career as a novelist. Let us hope it will not be her last, if this is any indication of what we have in store for us. Bravo!
Just a note of explanation for the label 'mentor text'. I think this is a book that could and should be used with young writers to show them how skilled authors take one small event and create a memorable story from it. This early morning trip that Lois Lowry took with her father in 1945 has been with her throughout her long and storied life. Yet, it remained a seed to be tended with care which grew into a remarkable story for us today.
No comments:
Post a Comment