Ostrich and Lark

PreS-Gr 3–Ostrich and Lark go for a walk every morning. Ostrich listens to Lark and the other birds sing, but stays silent himself. Then one night he dreams of singing, of flying, and of spring. The next day, as evening falls, he finally finds his own voice. Nelson’s language is lyrical and has the rhythm of an old folktale. The illustrations are done by six artists from Botswana. Each picture is signed, making it possible to compare and contrast their work. They all use a similar palette of bright oranges, reds, blues, and greens and all use bold, simple lines and shapes to create the animals and scenery. The images have a vitality and charm that reinforce the traditional feel of the text. Borders and backgrounds further unify the book’s appearance. An opening note tells about the artists and mentions that proceeds from the book go to aid the native peoples of Southern Africa. This book is simpler than Baba Diakité’s Mee-An and the Magic Serpent (Groundwood, 2007), but both books could be used in the curriculum as appealing examples of current African art and culture.–Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT