Fiona the Fruit Bat

Fiona has a serious case of nerves. She is facing a new challenge, and she feels as blind as a…well, a bat. She knows flight is possible, but her eyes cannot see what she needs to see to guide her. Her mother’s advice – “Remember…LISTEN” – doesn’t seem too helpful.

Fiona the Fruit Bat is a story about overcoming fear and anxiety in a new situation. Those around Fiona are trying to support her, but their advice only seems frustrating. Learning a new skill is challenging and feels hard. Before the light comes on, – the AHA moment – trying to do something for the first time feels impossible. As Fiona feels discouraged and frustrated, the reader empathizes.

Fiona hangs upside down in the cave in which she grew up. She used to cling to her mother’s chest when her mother flew outside, but, now, she’s too big to be carried around. Now it’s time to fly on her own. She smells the fruit ripe for eating but cannot reach it. He toes are too scared to let her go. Mother’s mysterious advice – LISTEN – doesn’t seem to make sense.

Fiona cries, only to stop when she hears the call of a bat. When she closes her eyes to listen, an image appears in her head. Then it disappears with the sound. She whimpers and calls after her friend Cassie, and again, an image appears in her mind. Thinking that it is a bat in distress, she calls out, “It’s okay. I will help you. You will be alright.” When the echoes return, she recognizes her own voice and clearly sees the details of the cave – the water running on the ground, the creature walking along the wall, and the animal hopping in the water below. Now she “sees” with her ears and not her eyes. She has tuned into to her sense of echolocation, and the outlines of everything around her are clear as day. Her toes let go, and, with confidence, Fiona flies outside the cave and into the night sky!

Qiuqi’s illustrations are captivating. They were created in Procreate on an iPad. Nighttime colours range from greyish blue for the outside sky and darker blue and green inside cave. The background reminds the viewer of chalk pastel. Despite the mostly dark colours, the illustrations are beautiful with shadows and the lighter details of light brown of Fiona’s fur, the red of her cheeks and the fruit she imagines her mother and friend eating. There is a good contrast of light and dark, especially when Qiuqi illustrates the echolocation sound waves. When Fiona taps into her sense of echolocation, the inside of the cave lights up bright as day.

Riskin’s text is simple and straightforward, perfect for the young audience targeted. The writing style is very engaging, and Fiona’s plight draws in the reader in from the first page. The story of trying something new and the nervousness that comes with such a novel experience is easy to relate to and provides a great opportunity for adults to connect to a child’s worry over something new they face.