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Friday, December 6, 2013

Up The Creek, written and illustrated by Nicholas Oldland. Kids Can Press, 2013. $16.95 ages 4 and up

"The moose wanted to
steer, but so did the bear
and the beaver. They all
sat in the stern. With so
much weight in the back
of the canoe, it tipped, and
they ended up in the water.
So they played Eenie-
Meenie-Minie-Mo, and
it was decided that the
moose would steer."

Not always do good friends agree! So, when the decide to take a canoe trip on a lovely sunshiny day...it turns into a fiasco! First, they cannot agree on who should do the steering. Then, they all want to paddle on the same side of the boat. Anyone with boating experience will know how that works out for them. Solving that problem happens just as they come to a beaver dam. How can the decision for crossing it be so complicated?

A portage works! It's not long until hunger and splashing assure another argument...and a scary result. Does a near disastrous ending to their afternoon excursion end the bickering? It does not! Finally they realize that, unless they choose cooperation as an option, they might be stranded on the river rock for a very long time. Shaking hands, setting their sights on home and enduring a number of scary incidents, they finally make shore in need of a nap.

This is the fourth time we have been lucky enough to spend time with our woodland friends. Life in the Wild? Indeed! You will love these cartoon characters, their humorous escapades, and the gently learned lessons.  

                                                                        
 

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