Songs of Papa's Island - Hardcover

Barbara Kelly Kerley is a contributor to Houghton Mifflin's "Song of Papa's Island."

Kindergarten-Grade 3-Mama and her young child share a loving closeness as the woman recounts her experiences living on an island in the Pacific with her husband while she was pregnant. Each of the 10 short chapters represents a storytelling session during which Mama relates their encounters with the island's wildlife just before and after their daughter's birth. They unexpectedly meet wild boar; feed fish while snorkeling; befriend a wild cat; enjoy the geckos that live on the walls of their home; and save frogs from certain death. Told in a leisurely pace in simple, gently cadenced language, these personal reminiscences display a lively sense of humor and a deep appreciation and respect for nature. Though Kerley tells excellent, almost intimate, stories, the slow pace may limit the book's appeal. Young readers could easily handle the text and will find the format attractive. Wide margins, heavy cream paper, and handsome black-and-white woodblock prints-one per chapter-make the book a joy to hold. While children may not choose this title on their own, teachers will find it a solid addition to units on family history or storytelling.
Maggie McEwen, Coffin Elementary School, Brunswick, ME
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.