Boney: Guest review

This review was written by Grade 8 student Hasini K.

Written by Cary Fagan

Illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova

Groundwood Books

978-1-77306-548-9

32 pp.

Ages 3-6

October 2022

 

While Annabelle and her dad are taking a walk in the woods with their dog, Scoot, Annabelle discovers an animal bone. Annabelle asks her dad if they can take the bone home, and her dad agrees. 

 

Annabelle decides to make the bone her new playmate, and names him Boney. Annabelle feels that Boney is a great playmate – and she is completely in love with her new friend! They hang out at the park and Annabelle even makes Boney a bed complete with a blanket and pillow in his own room. 

From Boney by Cary Fagan, illus. by Dasha Tolstikova

However, when creatures run wild in Annabelle's dreams, she wonders for the first time where Boney truly belongs. What becomes of Annabelle’s and Boney’s friendship? You'll need to read the book to find out.

Boney is written by Cary Fagan and illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova. It is a short but sweet story with very vivid and beautiful illustrations which are very thought-provoking. Kids may wonder where Boney, the bone, was actually from. The story does mention how the bone could've been any animal, but we can't help but wonder. I would recommend this book to readers from Grade 1-4 since it is pretty relatable in many ways. At some point in our lives, we all have to deal with the fact that something we might be doing is not right, even if we want to do it. Making tough choices is also very hard to do, no matter your age. Personally, I liked how the story had a really meaningful message. It teaches us that, sometimes, we have to do things that aren't easy to make the situation right. It captures the innocence and uncertainty of kids when they’re dealing with conflict within themselves. Little kids would especially take losing a friend or a toy or item they have gotten attached to, as Annabelle must do with Boney, very hard. I would certainly grab a copy of this creatively written book to enjoy!

~ Written by Hasini K., Age 13

A Cage Went in Search of a Bird

Written by Cary Fagan

Illustrated by Banafsheh Erfanian

Groundwood Books

978-1-55498-861-7

32 pp.

Ages 4-7

May 2017

Based on Franz Kafka’s aphorism identical to the title, Cary Fagan tells the story of a long-forgotten bird cage in an attic, hopeful of a bird to reside in it once again.  So determined is the cage for a bird that it throws itself out the window of the attic and rolls out into the big world outside in search of a new bird.

Though the cage is visited by many a bird–crow, blue jay, hummingbird, sun conure, hoopoe, owl–they all profess valid reasons for why they will not venture inside.  After all, they are wild birds, used to the freedom to fly where they will for food or perch, one with young in a tree nest, one far too big to spread its wings within.  It’s not until the cage is visited by a canary that its quest comes to an end.

Illustration by Banafsheh Erfanian 

for A Cage Went in Search of a Bird

A Cage Went in Search of a Bird has the feel of one of Aesop’s fables in that birds and objects such as the birdcage, a suitcase and a guitar speak.  Whether Cary Fagan intended to teach a lesson as fables do only he can tell us but there are important messages within regardless.  Though A Cage Went in Search of a Bird has at its basis the premise that there is someone for everyone, it also speaks to freedom and wild animals versus pets and perspective.  It is evident that no matter how lovely Banafsheh Erfanian’s acrylic and pastel illustrations are of the ornate bird cage, it’s not enough to get any bird to jump inside.  And her artwork is outstanding, as daring in her colours and shapes as the cage is in its search.  Reds, oranges and turquoises give A Cage Went in Search of a Bird an exotic feel, though the collection of bird species suggests a global tale by including temperate birds of North America, a South American parrot and the Afro-Eurasian hoopoe.  The lavishness of Banafsheh Erfanian’s illustrations embodies the importance of Cary Fagan's words.  Though it might not follow the paradoxical meaning of Kafka's aphorism, A Cage Went in Search of a Bird's message that even that which is most beautiful can be lonely and that quests to alleviate that loneliness can be daunting but worthwhile is just as relevant.

Illustration by Banafsheh Erfanian 

for A Cage Went in Search of a Bird

I Wish I Could Draw

Words and (Bad) Pictures by Cary Fagan

Groundwood Books

978-1-55498-318-6

32 pp.

Ages 6-10

Release May 13, 2014

I did not label the illustrations in Cary Fagan's I Wish I Could Draw as "(Bad) Pictures"; that was all Cary Fagan's doing.  Like so many of us, it takes some effort and practice before Cary Fagan, the illustrator, can accept that he has some artistic skill.  Of course, he does have to stop wishing and start doing before he realizes that, with a little practice, some effort and an interest in his subject, he can draw. 

From the onset, Cary Fagan, the illustrator, states unequivocally and even takes the time to show the reader how crummy an artist he is, from a self-portrait to a series of still-life pictures.  It's only when he begins to draw things he actually likes, e.g., a double-scoop chocolate ice cream cone, does Cary start to see some promise in his artistry.  And then, when he makes his illustrations purposeful i.e., part of a story, he admits that he likes drawing and encourages readers to go and pursue their own "stinky" drawings!

In these days of nurturing resilience and grit in children, I Wish I Could Draw lends itself so well to encouraging young readers not to give up when they are challenged.  In a notebook-style format, I Wish I Could Draw could be any child's doodle book of sketches, cartoons and reproductions of superheroes or characters with which they are familiar.  Maybe they won't be drawing teapots (though I think Cary's is rather quaint) but you can be assured that they'll be practising those troublesome fingers and landscape elements of trees and houses that always seem to show up in some school drawing.  With Cary Fagan's signature dry humour (we've read it in Danny, Who Fell in a Hole and Oy Feh So?), I Wish I Could Draw will make readers point and chuckle and then stop wishing and start drawing for themselves.  After all, their drawings couldn't be any worse than Cary Fagan's (bad) pictures.

Check out his brief drawing demonstration for Groundwood Books recently.

Danny, Who Fell in a Hole

Written by Cary Fagan
Illustrated by Milan Pavlovic
Groundwood Books
978-1-55498-311-7
116 pp.
Ages 7-11
2013

Danny, Who Fell in a Hole is about a boy named Danny who, you guessed it, fell in a hole.  Yep. It's true.  And the answers to the questions of why Danny fell in the hole, what happened when he fell in the hole, and how he gets out of the hole, are essentially the whole story of Danny, Who Fell in a Hole.  Fortunately, with Cary Fagan's honest humour and Milan Pavlovic's quirky illustrations, the reader can be assured that Danny's story will be more farcical than tragic.

Danny's parents seem to be the new sort that decide to put their own needs ahead of those of their children, planning to temporarily part ways so that they might pursue their separate creative interests.  Mom plans on moving to Banff to extend her cheesecake-baking talents, while Dad will be heading to New York City to explore opera singing.  But, there are no worries about the kids, Danny and his older brother Doug (who would probably accept their decision more easily because of his musical creativity), as Mom and Dad have already decided about living arrangements, even giving their dog Thwack away to a nearby farm before springing their news on their children.  Not surprising, Danny does not take the news well, grabbing his backpack and running off and unfortunately falling into a large hole on a construction site.

Mom and Dad may have been expecting Danny to find it difficult to accept their decision,

"Danny, we knew it would be a little harder for you.  You're the level-headed one in the family.  It's not your fault that you're not creative like the rest of us." (pg. 14)

but they could not have foreseen the character and maturity he demonstrates while trapped in that hole.  Not only does he complete his math homework and write a family zombie story, he devises some shelter from the rain, plays a harmonica for a visiting mole, comes up with some imaginative definitions for a vocabulary assignment, and saves a life.  Not bad for a child with no creativity!

Cary Fagan does not disappoint, taking Danny from the incredulous son of self-indulgent parents to the practical boy who takes inventory of his backpack's contents, always playing out in his mind what his parents would be thinking or saying.

   Hey, Sheila, you don't suppose our son has run away?
   No, not Danny.  He's too sensible. Doesn't have the imagination. (pg. 43)

As imaginative as Danny, Cary Fagan conceives a chatty Mole with the casual demeanour of one who speaks his mind, without being catty or cagey.   

"Hey, Darnit, you seem a little down in the dung." (pg. 73)

"Problem with ants, you eat a few dozen and you're hungry half an hour later." (pg. 79)

While young readers may connect with the shortcomings of Danny's parents', and delight in the boy's quest for some say in the direction his life was taking, Cary Fagan ensures that everyone is able to see the other perspective without giving in or up.  With lightness and the clarity that comes from being stuck in a dark hole, both Danny and his parents are able find their way out of the void and come up for air, sharing it with those who might have sought to suck the life out of their lives.

So, if you ever fall into a hole, keep your head, share your thoughts, and keep working until you find your way above ground.  Danny, Who Fell in a Hole did and everything worked out the better for it.

Oy Feh So?

by Cary Fagan

Illustrated by Gary Clement

Groundwood Books

978-1-55498-148-9

40 pp.

Ages 4-7

2013

Our families can be the fodder of so much humour.  Obviously Cary Fagan's family has provided him with a wealth of laughter if his numerous children's books are any indication.  From The Fortress of Kasper Snit (Tundra, 2004) and its 2 sequels, to My New Shirt (Tundra, 2007) and Jacob Two-Two on the High Seas (Tundra, 2009), Cary Fagan capably finds the comedic in relationships, familial and otherwise.

In Oy Feh So?, the arrival of Uncle Sam's old Lincoln marks the beginning of the ritualistic Sunday visit from Aunt Essy, Aunt Chanah and Uncle Sam.  As routine as their visits are, so too are their habitual use of interjections or exclamations before commenting on everything and anything.  Aunt Essy of the "Oy" always seems exasperated.  Aunt Chanah is the champion of "Feh", ever contemptuous.  And Uncle Sam's indifference is clear from his favourite interjection, "So?"  

Anticipating no deviation from their relatives' same-speak ("Do you think they'll say something different today?" my sister asked.  "Not a chance," my brother answered.), the three children in the household hatch a plan of multiple role-plays to flabbergast some new vocabulary out of their aunts and uncle.  But, it's not until the kids go overboard and shamelessly mimic their three relatives that Aunt Essy, Aunt Chanah and Uncle Sam discover their own farcical natures and begin to speak freely and uncharacteristically.

Gary Clement's ink-and-watercolour illustrations of Aunts Essy and Chanah and Uncle Sam bring out the boring attributes of all us older relatives: less than trendy eyeglasses, an unwelcome paunch, out-moded hairstyles, double chins and clothing lacking in style.  The details in the faces and hair and attire may be different, but they are the relatives we were all encouraged (forced?) to embrace and chat up because they were family.  And, if we were lucky, as the three children in Oy Feh So? are, we saw beyond the façade of their drudgery and stale vocabulary and glimpsed the fun-loving children they once were and now were willing to share with us.  This collaboration between Cary Fagan and Gary Clement is priceless in allowing us to see ourselves in the story, and hopefully recognize that it's up to us to help change those Sunday visits from doom to delight.  Oy!

Mr. Zinger's Hat

by Cary Fagan

Illustrated by Dušan Petričić

Tundra Books

978-1-77-49-253-0

32 pp.

Ages 6-9

August 2012

Yep, under the hat is a story.  First it's under Mr. Zinger's Hat, the hat that old Mr. Zinger wears when he walks around the courtyard making up stories that he publishes.  And Leo's mom always tells him not to disturb Mr. Zinger when he is thinking. But when Mr. Zinger's hat gets carried off by Leo's errant ball and then miraculously lands on Leo's head, they look inside the hat for some explanation. 

As Mr. Zinger looks within his hat, he prompts Leo to share details about the story trying to get out: the character, his problem, what he does to solve it, and finally the ending.  Leo is very eager to help fill in the blanks of the story within the hat, and he seems to have all the answers, as well as a fertile imagination!  Ah, the sights that can be imagined and the sounds that can be heard from that hat are astounding.  When Mr. Zinger declares it is time to return to his desk, he vows that he will not write down that story, as it belongs to Leo.  Subsequently when Leo finds a new playmate, he tells her of a story inside his baseball cap, allowing her to help provide the details this time.

The magic of discovering a story from within - within a hat, within a heart, within one's imagination - is extraordinarily fulfilling, as Mr. Zinger knows, sharing that knowledge with Leo, who in turn shares with Sophie.  There is no pulling or prodding to reveal the story; the story is naturally drawn out, as natural as a conversation in one's imagination.  Cary Fagan has Mr. Zinger effortlessly converse with Leo as if they were old friends - no judgements, no manipulations, no expectations.  And the story comes as it comes and it is real and relevant and inspiring.  Mr. Zinger becomes the iconic storyteller (looking and sounding all too similar to Canadian children's author and storyteller, Aubrey Davis!), surprised and impressed with his own story, and sharing that astonishment with his listeners.  How could Leo help but be mesmerized?

Award-winning illustrator Dušan Petričić, who has collaborated with Cary Fagan on several picture books including My New Shirt (Tundra, 2007) and Jacob Two-Two on the High Seas (Tundra, 2009), does profound credit to Cary Fagan's story, capturing Leo's awe with the light touch of one who knows this boy well.  I fully expect to see Leo playing ball outside the local school in the city.  Readers may notice that when Leo is formulating his story (from Mr. Zinger's hat), Dušan Petričić's illustrations change from his rich, highly-textured water-coloured images to the simple, two-dimensional drawings of a less sophisticated artist, say a child.  Obviously Dušan Petričić also knows whose story it is and is able to help young readers see it as well.

I may have found Mr. Zinger's Hat on a shelf, not under a brim, but I am absolutely delighted that Cary Fagan was able to see beneath some hat and then invite Dušan Petričić to use his high-powered vision to discern the textures, colours and shapes that must have lain hidden within as well.  That's some special headgear and insight, as special as Mr. Zinger's Hat.