Written by: Cary Fagan
Illustrated by: Gary Clement
Published by: Groundwood Books
Published on: April 9, 2012
Ages: 4+
Provided by the publisher for review. All opinions are my own.
I am sure you've met or work with or are related to someone who is a pessimist. Someone whose glass is always half empty, and probably has cloudy spots all over it too. How do you deal with that?
If you are the siblings in Oy Feh So?, you fight back. This creative trio does what they can to elicit a new reaction from their repetitive aunts and uncle. But nothing changes the outlook of these old codgers as much as a look through the children's eyes...at themselves.
Dry wit and the talent of the National Post's editorial cartoonist make this a fun romp for children and makes adults think about how they look through the eyes of the young. It's like a book was mixed with sketch comedy and satirical cartooning, eliciting double the laughs.
One of the best features of this picture book is that it lends itself to a number of book-related activities. The niece and nephews have a number of ideas for playtime. I got my kids to draw myself and their dad caricature-style after looking at these illustrations and that was illuminating. I didn't realize my forehead was quite so big.
This is the fortieth book I have reviewed for the Sixth Canadian Book Challenge.
It sounds perfect for the kinds of activities you suggest! One of my students' favourite poems was about an uncle who had a doomsday mentality - whatever happened, he would see the worst in it. I think it's great to point out the humour in this because I want for all our kids that they choose optimism!
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