Reviewed by Susan Hancy
Taking
the Long Way Home
is a picture book about a little girl, Zarah, who doesn’t like walking. Even
when her daddy takes shortcuts, she still feels that the walk home from school
is far too long. Then, one day, when her Uncle Jerome comes to pick her and her
brother up from school, Zarah isn’t happy because Uncle Jerome is taking the long way home on purpose.
Zarah
groans and complains, but Uncle Jerome encourages them to use their five senses
to imagine the exotic creatures they could encounter along the way. From
pterodactyls to yetis to vampire bats, by the time they reach home, Zarah has
had such a terrific adventure that she actually enjoyed the walk.
The
action, expressions and surprises portrayed in the illustrations by Brian Fitzgerald
bring the sensory experiences of the walk to life and carry the book. Throughout,
the language switches between third person and first person, making the reading
a tad confusing. The story itself is rather predictable and best suited to 3 to
5-year-olds.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Buzz Words Books would love to hear what you think.