Written by: Veronica Salinas
Illustrated by: Camilla Engman
Translated by: Jeanne Eirheim
Published by: Groundwood Books
Published on: September 17, 2013
Ages: 4+
Book provided by the publisher for review. All opinions are my own.
"You are who you are" is such a simple message but one that can take a long time to sink in. It's nice of this adorable duck who learns this lesson to want to share with us.
This wee duck is in a strange forest and he can't understand the people he meets. He feels out of sorts until he meets another creature who looks a bit like him who gives him the confidence to keep going and meet new people.
The book really reminded me of how I felt when I first showed up in a tiny town in the Japanese countryside and didn't know the language. But someday, after a lot of work, something just clicked and I started to understand a lot, and I felt really at home. This book would be great for a kid (or adult!) going on a trip to a new country or new immigrants.
The limited palette of mostly browns and greys is really stylish and makes me think of Scandinavia. There are a lot of little details that make these illustrations, like Easter eggs in a video game. Engman has coloured sketches of tiny animals doing cute things on each spread, like the ant going sailing in a lake of tears.
An adorable book great for kids who feel out-of-place.
I love Engman's work! First saw her in an Uppercase magazine. Can't wait to read this. I love lots of details like in Mouk.
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