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CM . . .
. Volume XXII Number 40. . . .June 17, 2016
Anyone who has taken leisurely walks with children in the three to seven-year old category will know how much pleasure and satisfaction is to be had in their discovery of lost and discarded articles. Nadine Robert begins her cleverly illustrated and wonderfully interactive picture book Toshi's Little Treasures with Grandma giving a special present to her small grandson, Toshi.
Robert's divides her book into the six different walks on which Grandma takes Toshi, starting at the riverside, moving through the town, then the forest, next to the countryside, then on through the park and finally to the beach. On each adventure, Toshi finds interesting items which he picks up to stow in his treasure pack. A double page spread of illustrations depicting the items found on each walk is followed by another double page where carefully drawn paintings on one side can be matched with illustrations on the opposite page. Every treasure has a connection with an item pictured on the opposing page, one which may be figured out by a curious and observant young person but will fairly often need help from an older reader. The final two pages in the book provide answers to all the connection questions and a wealth of interesting facts regarding the function, history and scientific background of each found item. Toshi's Little Treasures is indeed, as the publishers note, "A unique mix of storytelling and scientific information that encourages curiosity, critical thinking and problem solving." Nadine Robert's dedicates her book in the following way: "For my little Jerome and for the great Jiro Taniguchi", the latter being a well-known, prize-winning Japanese manga artist and writer. The author's admiration for the manga style comes through clearly in her book with its delightfully simple illustrations created by French artist Aki (whose real name is Delphine Mach). Aki's softly coloured detailed drawings are sure to appeal to readers of any age. Toshi's Little Treasures, at 32 pages in a hard covered 9 by 12 inch format, is certainly not little; however, the book can be thought of as something of a treasure in light of the enjoyment it will provide for older readers and young listeners. And perhaps readers who are sharing the literary adventures in Robert's book will be inspired to take off on some treasure hunting walks of their own! Highly Recommended. A retired teacher-librarian, Valerie Nielsen lives in Winnipeg, MB.
To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.
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