  | Flamingo Author: Guojing | |
| Price: $23.28 | ||
Summary:
A little girl arrives, excited for a beachy vacation with her Lao Lao. The girl and her grandmother search for shells, chase crabs, and play in the sea, but when the girl finds an exquisite flamingo feather in her grandmother's living room, her vacation turns into something fantastical. In graphic novel format.
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 11/01/2022 Gr 3 Up—A girl goes to visit her grandmother, who lives in a house near the beach. She finds a pink feather at Lao Lao's house that sparks her curiosity. The book gently transitions between the real and the imaginary, as Lao Lao tells her a story about a girl who found an egg at the beach. Lao Lao tells her story a little at a time, gradually revealing that a tiny white chick hatched out of the egg, and that the chick grew up into a pink flamingo, which eventually flew away. When the girl returns home, she's inspired to write her own conclusion to the story, which (be forewarned) might make more sensitive readers cry. This book is mostly wordless, which will give readers more time to focus on the ethereal, and often breathtaking, artwork. The palette changes as the story moves from the real world into the fictional and back again. The real world is beautiful, but has only a few colors, while the fictional world uses many colors to great effect, like Isabelle Arsenault's artwork in Fanny Britt's Jane, the Fox & Me. The cover illustration of a flamingo with outstretched wings on a fire escape will probably get the most attention, but some of the interior artwork—the image of the girl, her dog, and the chick watching a sunset together—is equally astonishing. VERDICT For readers who enjoy emotionally moving stories about family, love, and the power of imagination.—Andrea Lipinski - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
School Library Journal - 11/01/2022 Gr 4–6—This beautiful graphic novel in translation tells the story of Jo, a young girl who runs away from her family only to stumble upon a magical storybook world deep in the woods. Jo does not like her new stepmother and stepsisters and feels she would be better off on her own in the woods surrounding the site of her family's new home. As Jo begins her woodland adventure, she follows two small creatures to their fairy-tale village, bustling with activity. Once in the village, Jo meets a catlike girl named Nouk. Nouk explains to Jo that Emperor Tomcat has imprisoned much of their village, including Nouk's mother, and the village is preparing to rescue them. When the rescue goes awry, Jo sets out with the help of Maurice the fox, Pom Pom the dog, and the Wondrous Wonders to save her new friends. Richly colored illustrations, paired with just enough text to provide readers with context while allowing their imagination to fill in the rest, create a vibrant reading experience. All human characters are white. VERDICT This is a must-buy for any library, packed with humor and heart. Young readers will delight in joining Jo on her adventures through the forest and meeting the entertaining cast of fantasy creatures. Full-color illustrations with light line work create a subtle, dreamlike aesthetic.—Maryjean Riou - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
