Little Loon Finds His Voice

by Yvonne Pearson, Regina Shklovsky (Illustrator)

Overview

Bank Street Books - 2022 Best Children’s Books of the Year (STEM Selection)

Silver Winner in the PubWest Book Design Awards (Children’s/YA - Illustrated category)

“This illuminating tale simultaneously serves as a primer on the loon and a satisfying, well-paced chronicle of progress.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

Ooo aaa woo woo! Papa Loon’s voice calls out long and strong across the water. He warns of danger. He defends his family’s home. He even wards off predators. But Peep! Eep! Squeak! Little Loon’s voice is nothing like his Papa’s. When an eagle attacks, will Little Loon find his voice in time?

A water bird found throughout much of North America, loons are famous for their echoing calls. Little Loon Finds His Voice is the endearing, coming-of-age tale of one little loon finding his voice, and with it, his place in the world. Breathtaking illustrations transport readers to misty lakes and towering pines, and informative loon facts at the end detail the life and habits of these enchanting birds.

MORE PRAISE FOR LITTLE LOON FINDS HIS VOICE:

"Informative and fun, Little Loon Finds His Voice is especially and unreservedly recommended." —Midwest Book Review

“Share this with readers who have heard loons’ calls in the wild.” —Kirkus Reviews

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781951412852
Publisher:	The Collective Book Studio
Publication date:	11/23/2021
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	99 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Yvonne Pearson’s debut picture book, Sadie Braves the Wilderness, was published in May 2017. In 2018 she won the Loft-McKnight Fellowship in writing for children. Yvonne has been selected for the Loft Center for Literature’s Shabo Award for a picture book and won two Artist Initiative Grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board for children’s literature projects. Yvonne lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her husband. She loves hiking, reading, quilting, cooking and spending quality time with her grandchildren.

Regina Shklovsky is an illustrator and graphic designer based in Sonoma County, California. She illustrated the 2018 picture book, Fun in the Mud, which was a 2019 Moonbeam award winner and a 2018 Nautilus award winner. She is passionate about bringing stories to life with pictures and thoughtful design. Her work is rooted in traditional drawing and painting, mixed with vector graphics. She collaborates with local entrepreneurs and authors, as well as independent publishers.

Editorial Reviews

★ 06/14/2021

In this endearing picture book, Little Loon desires nothing more than to emulate Papa’s long and strong calls—a tremolo, wail, hoot, and yodel—whereas Little Loon only makes peeps and squeaks. Employing the refrain “Papa’s call was long./ His call was strong./ It echoed on the water,” Pearson presents a number of situations in which Papa’s calls serve to protect Mama and Little Loon. Lyrical prose follows Little Loon’s growth: “Until one day, as the sun tipped over the trees, Little Loon danced upon the water, flapped his wings, and rose through the crisp air.” Onomatopoeia is conveyed in engaging typography, while Shklovsky contributes sweetly expressive, intricate watercolor and pencil illustrations in a soft palette, employing captivating angles and dynamic spreads to hold readers’ attention. This illuminating tale simultaneously serves as a primer on the loon and a satisfying, well-paced chronicle of progress. Back matter includes more information about loons. Ages 5–7. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"The lovely pastel illustrations endear young readers to Little Loon's story. In hues of light blue and light green, Shklovsky's art perfectly reflects the serenity and natural beauty of the lake setting. ... Excellent backmatter fills in details that tell the more complete story of this lovely bird."

Dr. Christie Kaaland

"My students were totally fascinated and engaged... It warmed my heart to hear the loon calls echoing down the hallway!"

Kristin Sondquist

"What a lovely combination of story and facts, lyrical language and compelling illustrations Yvonne Pearson and Regina Shklovsky have created! Every child will rejoice when little loon finds his voice."

Marion Dane Bauer

"Little Loon Finds His Voice will delight children and adult readers alike."

Ranae Hanson

"One of the prettiest books of the season."

Pioneer Press

"Informative and fun, Little Loon Finds His Voice is especially and unreservedly recommended."

Midwest Book Review

"Little Loon Finds His Voice is a simply told and invitingly illustrated book that can easily instill a love for loons in the minds of young readers."

Mike Pluimer

"With lyrical, engaging text and gentle, intimate art, this book tells a story that is both familiar and fresh...Page by page, we are invited to dive into this beautiful creature's world, becoming fluent in loonsong ourselves as we watch Little Loon grow."

Molly Beth Griffin

"With lyrical, engaging text and gentle, intimate art, this book tells a story that is both familiar and fresh. Little Loon's yearning to be big, to call like his parents do, will resonate with kid readers who know what it's like to be small and to long to do grownup things. This story will also introduce them to something new: a real loon language that is as factual as it is enchanting. Page by page, we are invited to dive into this beautiful creature's world, becoming fluent in loonsong ourselves as we watch Little Loon grow." —Molly Beth Griffin, author of Loon Baby, Rhoda's Rock Hunt, and Ten Beautiful Things

"Sweetly expressive...This illuminating tale simultaneously serves as a primer on the loon and a satisfying, well-paced chronicle of progress." —Publishers Weekly

"What a lovely combination of story and facts, lyrical language and compelling illustrations Yvonne Pearson and Regina Shklovsky have created! Every child will rejoice when little loon finds his voice." —Marion Dane Bauer, author of the Newbery Honor Book On My Honor and The Stuff of Stars

"Share this with readers who have heard loons’ calls in the wild." —Kirkus

"Little Loon Finds His Voice will delight children and adult readers alike." —Ranae Hanson, climate activist and author of Watershed: Attending to Body and Earth in Distress

"My students were totally fascinated and engaged, even after sitting through our period of technical difficulty! It warmed my heart to hear the loon calls echoing down the hallway!" —Kristin Sondquist, Barton Elementary School

"Little Loon Finds His Voice is a simply told and invitingly illustrated book that can easily instill a love for loons in the minds of young readers." —Mike Pluimer, National Loon Center

"A sweet, lyrical look at loons and a universal story about growing up." —Maria Marshall
 

 

From the Publisher

My students were totally fascinated and engaged... It warmed my heart to hear the loon calls echoing down the hallway!

Kristin Sondquist - Barton Elementary School

With lyrical, engaging text and gentle, intimate art, this book tells a story that is both familiar and fresh...Page by page, we are invited to dive into this beautiful creature's world, becoming fluent in loonsong ourselves as we watch Little Loon grow.

"Molly Beth GriffinAuthor of Loon Baby

2021-07-14
Little Loon aspires to have a voice like his papa’s, long, strong, and echoing on the water.

Readers unfortunate enough to be unfamiliar with the call of a loon may miss something in this telling, as the haunting and ethereal beauty of a loon’s vocalizations doesn’t quite come through here. What do come across, however, are the chick’s persistence and fierce desire as well as the growth cycle of a loon chick. When the tale begins, Little Loon is seen in a nest, a broken egg nearby. Later he rides on Mama’s back, sliding off when she dives to catch him small fish. As the pages turn and Little Loon hears his father’s various calls—Danger! Where are you? Back off!—he practices his own vocalizations, but his “eep”s and “peep”s and “squeak”s aren’t like Papa’s. Observant readers will notice, though, that Little Loon’s feathers are changing: He’s growing up. And as the leaves change color and he takes off into the sky for the ocean, he finally is able to make an echoing call. Judging from previous scenes, however, it’s a yodel that’s written, but backmatter states that a tremolo call is the only one made while flying and that chicks can’t yodel until they are 2 years old. Shklovsky’s illustrations seem to use graphite and watercolor to create the loons and their habitat, respectively; some scenes are jarringly blurry. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Share this with readers who have heard loons’ calls in the wild. (Informational picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews