Folk Art Animal Sounds

Artwork by Barry Colpitts

Words by Carol McDougall and Shanda LaRamee-Jones

Nimbus Publishing

978-1-77471-334-1

26 pp.

Ages 0-2

October 2024

 

Like their earlier board books Maud Lewis 1 2 3 and Maud Lewis Colours, authors Carol McDougall and Shanda LaRamee-Jones base their concept books on the art of the East Coast, bringing culture and colour to teaching numbers, colours or, as here, animal sounds. This time the illustrations are the art of Nova Scotian folk artist and carver Barry Colpitts.

From Folk Art Animal Sounds, artwork by Barry Colpitts, text by Carol McDougall and Shanda LaRamee-Jones

Thirteen animals are depicted in simple double-spreads that focus on a carving, the animal's name, and the sound it makes. The animals include the rooster, pig, fox, goose, cat, fish, eagle, cheetah, sheep, peacock, bear, dog, and whale. While the text is rudimentary–it is a concept book–there are a few less familiar sounds like those for the fox, peacock, and whale. And though the sounds themselves are depicted in large and boldly coloured letters, the stars of the book are the folk carvings of Barry Colpitts.

From Folk Art Animal Sounds, artwork by Barry Colpitts, text by Carol McDougall and Shanda LaRamee-Jones

Barry Colpitts's sculptures are joyous in their colours and shapes. The animals are easily recognizable and adorably cute, especially when he adds secondary animals to their backs. For example, the dalmatian has a cat on its back which in turn has a bird on its back. Barry Colpitts keeps the colours of the animals both realistic and fanciful, helping young children to both recognize the creatures and be amused by them.

From Folk Art Animal Sounds, artwork by Barry Colpitts, text by Carol McDougall and Shanda LaRamee-Jones

Folk Art Animal Sounds is a unique concept book, teaching young children the sounds that animals make. The text is simple and will be easily repeated and then read by preschoolers.  But, beyond the animal sounds, Folk Art Animal Sounds builds on the folk art collection of Barry Colpitts and exposes very young kids to a traditional art form. The book is as beautiful as any coffee table book about art, and I suspect art lovers will enjoy it as much as the children learning the utterances of familiar animals.