In the Red Canoe by L. Davidson

Davidson, Leslie A. In The Red Canoe, illustrated by Laura Bifano. Orca Book Publishers, 2016.“In the Red Canoe” is a fictional picture book written by Leslie A. Davidson and illustrated by Laura Bifano. This beautiful story takes place by a lakeside cottage and follows the magical exploration of nature by a grandfather and his grandchild. As they paddle along the lake in a red canoe, they are surrounded by the many delightful elements of nature including vibrant flowers, elusive frogs and soaring birds. Written in first person through the eyes of a young child, this book engages all readers who may have grown up with a family cottage and stimulates the curiosity of readers who may have not yet had the chance to explore nature.The poetic pattern of this text is presented in a smooth, rhythmic way. The descriptive language is delicate and the beauty of nature is captured through strong imagery. The author’s chosen words of “We don’t say much we mostly look” represent the magic of this book as the elegance of this story could have been depicted solely with the images.The vivid illustrations of this story capture the breathtaking scenery that exists in the outdoors and celebrate the personal connection of grandparent and grandchild through painted images of physical and emotional closeness. The pictures do not clearly specify the gender of the grandchild which make this story easy for most children to connect with.Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Kerstin SkowKerstin Skow is a grade 2 french immersion teacher with Edmonton Public Schools and is currently completing her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education at the University of Alberta. Kerstin was an avid reader growing up and enjoys fostering a love of reading in her students.