Almost a Full Moon. Hawksley Workman. Illustrated by Jensine Eckwall. Toronto, ON: Tundra Books, 2016. 32 pp., hardcover & epub, $21.99 (hc.). ISBN 978-1-770-49871-6 (hc.), ISBN 978-1-770-49872-3 (epub). Subject Heading: Songs, English-Canada-Texts. Preschool-grade 2 / Ages 4-7. Review by Kay Weisman. ** /4

excerpt:

Almost a full moon.

Let’s make some soup ‘cause the weather is turning cold.

Let’s stir it together til we’re both gray and old.

Let’s stir it together til it tells us stories of its own.

Let’s make some soup ‘cause the weather is turning cold.



Pumpkin and parsnip, carrots and turkey bones.

Bay leaf and pepper, potato and garlic cloves.

You stir a moment while I put more wood in the stove.

Let’s make some soup ‘cause the weather is turning cold.

In this story based on Hawksley Workman’s song of the same name, a young boy and his grandmother make soup and invite their friends and neighbours to celebrate the cold, snowy weather. They combine vegetables, seasonings, and turkey bones, and then simmer the soup over a wood fire. Later, acquaintances join them to enjoy a warm and comforting meal. Jensine Eckwall’s watercolour, gouache, and walnut ink artwork complements Workman’s spare lyrics. She depicts a multicultural community and many quaint details in Grandmother’s cabin. The world outside may be snowy and dark, but the cabin is cozy, warm, and inviting.

      Unfortunately, those unfamiliar with Workman’s music may be puzzled by the book’s title and wonder how “an almost full moon” connects to making soup on a winter evening. (For those not in the know, the title lyrics are chanted throughout the performed version of this song, something not mentioned in the book.) Recommended where demand for Workman’s songs is high.

Recommended.

Kay Weisman works as a youth services librarian at West Vancouver Memorial Library and chairs the Children’s Literature Roundtables of Canada’s Information Book Award.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

Hosted by the University of Manitoba.

 

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