Produktdetaljer
Biografisk notat
JEAN E. PENDZIWOL is the author of Skating Wild on an Inland Sea, illustrated by Todd Stewart (Governor General’s Literary Award, the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award and the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award). She has also written When I Listen to Silence, illustrated by Carmen Mok; I Found Hope in a Cherry Tree, illustrated by Nathalie Dion; and Me and You and the Red Canoe, illustrated by Phil. She lives in Northwestern Ontario, on the shores of Lake Superior. PHIL studied painting, printmaking, photography and design at the Alberta College of Art and the Ontario College of Art and Design. His paintings evoke memories as well as images and feelings from the past. This is his first picture book. He lives in Toronto.<p>“A true gem that invites contemplation and reflection in children, who are often too busy to notice the beauty of everyday life.” — <strong><em>School Library Journal</em></strong></p>
<p>“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. … Evocative, lyrical, perfect.” — <strong><em>Kirkus Reviews</em></strong></p>
<p>“The calm, distempered pictures and cool prose of Me and You and the Red Canoe seem to distill the essence of lakeside summertime.” — <strong><em>Wall Street Journal</em></strong></p>
“A true gem that invites contemplation and reflection in children, who are often too busy to notice the beauty of everyday life.” — School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
In the stillness of a summer dawn, two siblings leave their campsite with fishing rods, tackle and bait, and push a red canoe into the lake. A perfect morning on the water unfolds, with thrilling glimpses of wildlife along the way.
The narrator describes the experience vividly. Trailing a lure through the blue-green depths, the siblings paddle around a point, spotting a moose in the shallows, a beaver swimming towards its home and an eagle returning to its nest. Suddenly there is a sharp tug and the rod bends to meet the water. A few heart-stopping moments later, the pair pull a silvery trout from the water, then paddle back to the campsite to fry up a delicious breakfast.
The poetic text is accompanied by stunningly beautiful paintings rendered on wood panels that give a nostalgic feeling to the story.
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7
Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.5
Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.
- The book speaks to an experience – summer camping and fishing and exploring nature – that will resonate with many adults and children.
- Both author and illustrator were keen not to specify the children’s gender in the text or art.
- Curriculum connections: language arts / reading, poetry and storytelling; science / nature and the environment, animals; social studies / people and environments.