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-Winner GOLDEN KITE AWARD, Best Picture Book Text
-Named Charlotte Zolotow Highly Recommended Picture Book
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-Pierre, a mouse who sails a fishing boat, is
in love with Catherine, a ballet-teaching rabbit he glimpses from
afar. She admires the dashing figure she sees from her window in
the evening. Yet each is afraid to speak to the other. Eventually,
they reveal themselves and learn that "feelings are like tide" you
can't hold them back." While the notion of the torments of adult
romantic love may go over the heads of the intended audience, children
will relate to the themes of honesty and being true to oneself.
For that reason, the story would make a good Valentine's Day read-aloud,
although the French ballet terms may require further explanation.
Mathers's watercolors of the fishing village, in a palette of moody
grays, blues, and purples, add a calming and whimsical touch.
- Rachael Vilmar, Atlanta Fulton Public Library,
GA - Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier
Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
* Starred Review * A simple fisherman, Pierre the mouse is in love
with Catherine the rabbit, a ballet teacher. But how can he hope
to win one so fair? Then Pierre finds something that matches Catherine's
beauty--a shell. He decides to dress to the nines, give her the
shell, and tell her how he feels. But when the moment comes, he
flees, leaving the shell behind. That sets off a string of anonymous
nightly gift giving, until Catherine can bear the mystery no longer.
She waits up and catches Pierre, who confesses his love. Alas, Catherine
loves another, but in a happily-ever-after ending, she realizes
that Pierre, so smartly dressed, is, in fact, the fisherman she
has admired from afar. Subtleties abound, and the emotions may affect
adults more than children. But the purity of the love will touch
children, too, and both the words and the art are delightful. Sometimes
the phrases are elegant: Catherine's voice floated like "silver
ribbon over the harbor." Sometimes they capture the goofiness love
engenders: "He felt all bloopy and love-swoggled." The watercolors
have a deceptive, childlike simplicity that draws in readers, with
color, detail, and a warm expression of feelings.
-Ilene Cooper - Copyright American Library Association. All rights reserved. |
