THE BIRD'S NEST HAT. Reddin, David. Illustrated by Carlos Freire. Toronto, Three Trees Press, 1987. 24pp, paper. ISBN 0-88823-117-2 (cloth) $14.95, 0-88823-119-9 (paper) $5.95. Distributed by Firefly Books Ltd. PIRATES ON THE POND. Ricord, Jack. Illustrated by Carlos Freire. Toronto. Three Trees Press, 1987. 24pp, paper, ISBN 0-88823-128-8 (cloth) $14.95, 0-88823-126-1 (paper) $5.95. Distributed by Firefly Books Ltd. CIP Kindergarten to Grade 3 Reviewed by Margaret Montgomery Volume 16 Number 4 1988 July These two books were illustrated by Carlos Freire, who was born in Chile and was apprenticed to mural painter Julio Escamez Freire came to Canada in 1974 and has since worked as a freelance artist. David Reddin is the author of The Bird's Nest Hat, a fantasy about giraffes who befriend a mother bird on the plains of Africa. The bird repays the kindness by helping Gerald Giraffe when he is temporarily blinded by lightning. A silly story, no doubt, but it found some sympathetic grade 1 listeners. The illustrations in three colours leave a bland impression of the colour of the animals (tan giraffes, great stretches of yellow-green foliage and grass) and a cartoonish impression of the content—the female giraffes wear bows in their hair Jack Ricord's Pirates on the Pond is a story that won great favour with young students—anything to do with pirates is sure fire! Again, this is completely fantastic, a story about a huge pirate ship that appears on a park pond. The pirate captain kidnaps Goldie the dog; the dog's owner Channy must then rescue her pet. Channy is a young lady of considerable spirit and independence. She always carries a rubber dinghy in her bicycle basket and a wooden sword In the back of her belt, and with these she goes to the rescue, joined by her friend Scott. With great vigour, they quell all 500 pirates in a variety of ways. There isjoie de vivre and an enormous sense of humour in these illustrations, which feature suitably dressed pirates, sword fights, Dad drinking his umpteenth cup of coffee, and the children. I hope that someone will give Freire full rein some day soon and produce a full-colour picture-book with some more of his amusing illustrations. Meanwhile, enjoy Pirates on the Pond! Margaret Montgomery, West Vernon Elementary School Vernon, B.C.