Author Carolyn Beck • Illustrator Karen Patkau
Fitzhenry & Whiteside 2014
Ages 3-6
Carolyn Beck manages to sum up the key characteristics of each species in remarkably few words, while Karen Patkau introduces the creatures and their habitats with stunning clarity. One Hungry Heron is a rollicking introduction to poetry, nature, and numeracy, and it all adds up to “read-it-again” entertainment for the very young.
LOOK INSIDE
AWARDS & HONOURS
• Canadian Children’s Book Centre Best Books Spring 2015 Selection
REVIEWS
• One Hungry Heron is spectacular in its ability to capture and convey the essence of ten animal species through vibrant illustrations and poetic verse. Geared to ages 3 through 6, the first half of the book is a simple, elegant counting book—one through ten—based in nature. The second half introduces a thunderstorm, shares the response of each species to the storm, counts backwards to zero, and concludes with each animal returning once the storm is over. Alliteration, onomatopoeia, and rich vocabulary are utilized throughout. On the final page, with all of the animals depicted in a single scene, the young mathematician is offered an opportunity to engage in careful searching and to review the earlier animal counts in a more complex setting. Within the genre of children’s counting books, One Hungry Heron is an absolute gem. – Science Books & Films
• “Beck’s word choices are superb, and her brief poems truly capture the essence of each of the swamp’s denizens. … Patkau’s illustrations are equally superb as each of her illustrations of a portion of the pond spills over the pages to reveal the next of the pond’s inhabitants that is to be found and counted by the book’s child reader. … Counting book, vocabulary builder, nature book and more, One Hungry Heron is one of this year’s absolute must-buys by early years/elementary school libraries and public libraries.” – Highly Recommended – Canadian Materials
• “Beck’s unique take on the conventional counting book is filled with beautiful descriptive imagery that brings to life each creature using simple words and short poems. … colourful illustrations by Patkau will provide hours of absorbed studies … The best counting books are those that encourage the child to participate in the process, and One Hungry Heron succeeds in spades with a search-and fond technique … an abundance of teachable moments here, from ecology to number sense, and it will be a welcome addition to every library, classroom and bedroom bookshelf.” – Canadian Children’s Book News “We Recommend”
• “… a beautifully designed counting book. From the titular “One hungry heron/ tall and still,” to the “Ten tiny turtles/ looking for sun,” readers are introduced to wetland wildlife. … Karen Patkau’s … illustrations are breathtakingly realistic, and the artful composition features a variety of perspectives, including a close-up view of a frog’s tongue snapping up flies, and an underwater glimpse of swimming catfish. The lush flora and fauna of the pond creates a vibrant backdrop for the search-and-find numeracy game. Fun and informative, One Hungry Heron offers countless early learning opportunities.” – National Reading Campaign
• “If you’re fortunate to have a cottage near water or access to a marshy area or pond, One Hungry Heron should accompany you and your littlest ones on your next trek there in off-winter seasons. … a fluid visual and auditory composition linking outdoor scenes familiar to many Canadians with basic counting by one’s, forwards and back.” – CanLit for LittleCanadians
• “A counting book that will excite young readers, this picture book is set in a Canadian marsh. … As the numbers count to 10 and back again, Toronto author Beck and artist Patkau intrigue the viewer with brilliant pictures of pond life matched with appropriate rhyming verse.” – Winnipeg Free Press
• “The beauty of Karen Patkau’s rich illustrations of pond life springs out of the pages, the main element of the book’s engaging graphic layout. Creatures from the drawings on the right creep, swim, slither into the white-space where Carolyn Beck’s simple poem counts up from one hungry heron to ten tiny turtles… only to quickly slide back down through the numbers as raindrops on the water send the creatures to seek cover.” – Resource Links
KAREN PATKAU 