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Summary
Summary
Warble is a small yellow warbler who lives on the beautiful island of Icyland, where he pursues his hobby of human watching. But one day, a deep fog rolls in and obscures his view. The rest of the birds don't seem to notice. 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. Kyo Maclear's witty story, brought to life with the delicate, misty artwork of Kenard Pak, is a poignant yet hilarious reminder of the importance of environmental awareness.
Author Notes
KYO MACLEAR is a critically acclaimed, award-winning author for big people and little people. Her previous picture books for children include The Liszts , The Good Little Book (which was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award) and Julia, Child . The Letter Opener , her first novel for adults, won the K.M. Hunter Artists Award and was shortlisted for the Amazon.ca Books in Canada First Novel Award. Her follow-up novel, Stray Love , appeared on several notable "Best of 2012" lists. Kyo's newest book for adults, Birds Art Life- A Field Guide to the Small and Significant , will be published in January 2017. She lives in Toronto with singer and composer David Wall and their two children.
Author Residence- Toronto, ON
Author Hometown- Toronto, ON
KENARD PAK is an animator and illustrator. He has worked as a visual development artist for Dreamworks, Walt Disney Feature Animation, PDI Dreamworks and Laika. He has illustrated several picture books, including the acclaimed Have You Heard the Nesting Bird?, The Dinner That Cooked Itself and Flowers Are Calling . Ken lives in foggy San Francisco with his wife and three cats.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-A small yellow warbler lives on an icy island in the far north. Warble is different from the other birds; he is a serious human-watcher ("#671 BEHATTED BIBLIOPHILIC FEMALE," "#672 BALD-HEADED GLITZY MALE"). One day a warm fog rolls in, and it stays. Warble worries about this change but fails to galvanize his other feathered neighbors, who cannot be bothered. The situation grows worse, and Warble is more isolated and concerned until he spots a new human, "#673 RED-HOODED SPECTACLED FEMALE (JUVENILE)." The two join forces ("CHIRP! CHIRP!" "I'M LISTENING!"). Together, after launching many folded paper boats, they manage to locate other allies around the world-a note from a walrus in eastern Canada, one from a musk ox in Norway, and one from some cats in England. These creatures, too, see the fog and want to fix it, and thus the fog begins to lift and the world around them grows clearer. The pencil, watercolor, and digital illustrations capture the spirit of the story, the beauty of the landscape, and the haunting fog while also adding just the right amount of humor to balance the serious theme. The endpapers cataloguing Warble's human sightings are a treat. The parable-style tale keeps the solution metaphorical and the message clear. VERDICT This thoughtful selection, full of amusing details, has much to offer readers and listeners who are thinking about the importance of the environment and the need to come together to care for it.-Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
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 [juvenile]"), and other human specimens on the endpapers are not to be missed. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Jackie Kaiser, Westwood Creative Artists. Illustrator's agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Agency. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
When a mysterious fog covers his island home, a yellow warbler and a likewise concerned little girl send paper boats afloat with the question, "Do you see the fog?" When affirmative answers come back from around the world, the mist magically lifts. Whimsical, haze-softened illustrations don't do much to lift the fog around the story's confusing allegorical premise. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A people-watching yellow warbler finds a friend who shares his passion for noticing things. Maclear chronicles Warble's increasing frustration as fog blankets his ice-covered island, a "special place" once full of tourists. He can no longer watch the humans who visit his territory, and worse, his neighbors don't seem to notice or care about the changes. Sadly, he almost forgets the passion of his earlier life until he spots No. 673, a juvenile "Red-Hooded Spectacled Female," and she becomes a friend. Together they make origami boats and send them out to sea with messages to others beyond his island. Gradually the fog lifts. Pak's digitally worked pencil-and-watercolor illustrations support and enhance this simple parable, especially in a wordless center spread showing Warble and the girl, who appears to be Asian, staring at each other through binoculars. Humor is to be found in the extensive human identifications that grace the endpapers and early pages of Warble's story, a nod to the habits of bird-watchers like the author. Pastel wash represents the fog that "turned everything ghostly." Their surroundings are gray. But as the fog begins to lift, "Big things. / And tiny things / Shiny red things. / And soft feathery things" reappear. Reaching out lifts both fog and spirits; it brightens days and nights. A song about sharing that's sure to lift readers' spirits as well. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.