The Fog
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
A clever and whimsical environmental fable about a bird who is a human-watcher from a dynamic author-illustrator duo.
Warble is a small yellow warbler who lives on the beautiful island of Icyland, where he pursues his hobby of human watching. But on a warm day, a deep fog rolls in and obscures his view. The rest of the birds don't seem to notice the fog or the other changes Warble observes on the island. The more the fog is ignored, the more it spreads. When a Red-hooded Spectacled Female (Juvenile) appears, Warble discovers that he's not the only one who notices the fog. Will they be able to find others who can see it too? And is the fog here to stay? Kyo Maclear's witty story, brought to life with the delicate, misty artwork of Kenard Pak, is a poignant yet humorous reminder of the importance of environmental awareness.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Maclear (The Liszts) and Pak (When the World Is Dreaming) deliver readers to an icy island overtaken by a persistent fog in this haunting but hopeful allegory. On the island, a yellow bird named Warbler observes human visitors through binoculars; the fog impedes this habit, but more alarming is its effect on the island's residents. "I wouldn't even call it fog," offers a blackbird. "Mist, maybe." An owl suggests acceptance: "Sometimes these things happen." With the aid of a human girl a "red-hooded spectacled female (juvenile)," to be precise Warbler draws attention to the situation, and that very awareness lifts the fog. The message that the first step to addressing a problem is acknowledging its existence is an important one, whatever the issue at hand, and Pak's airy mixed-media images smartly play moments of humor against an understated sense of menace. NB: the hilarious scientific classifications for ballplayers ("#674 swift red-capped pitcher"), beatniks ("#664 American bushy-browed surf-head"), children ("#659 whooping bare-chested male "), and other human specimens on the endpapers are not to be missed. Ages 4 8.
