The Ranger (Crow Stories Trilogy Series #2)

by Nancy Vo

Overview

In this second book in Nancy Vo’s Crow Stories trilogy, a ranger and a fox form a special and unexpected friendship while navigating an indifferent and dangerous wilderness.

In this memorable and beautifully illustrated story, a ranger comes across a fox caught in a trap. The ranger frees the fox and promises only to tend to its wounds. The fox recovers and remains curiously close to the ranger, and when unexpected twists occur, the fox ends up being the helper. The ranger asks the fox, “Does this make us even?” and almost immediately feels regret—keeping score has no place in friendship. And so the two continue their journey together.

In this second book in the Crow Stories trilogy, Nancy Vo explores themes of friendship and how meaningful bonds form when we can openly give and receive. Vo’s stunning, spare illustrations are a delight, and complement the journey of these two nuanced characters toward understanding and companionship.

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2
Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781773061283
Publisher:	Groundwood Books
Publication date:	08/01/2019
Series:	Crow Stories Trilogy Series , #2
Pages:	44
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	490L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

NANCY VO was raised where the sun rose in the prairies and set behind the Rockies. By night she makes picture books. She is the author/illustrator of the first two books in the Crow Stories trilogy: The Outlaw, described by the New York Times as “bewitching,” and The Ranger, praised in a Kirkus starred review as “visually arresting and enigmatic.” Nancy is also the author/illustrator of Boobies and the illustrator of As Glenn as Can Be by Sarah Ellis. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Reviews of The Outlaw by Nancy Vo:

“Bewitching … Vo’s gorgeous black-and-white drawings repeat and invert, revealing a stark world of night and day and night. … The most magical part of the book, illustrating Vo’s innate sense of story, is the separate tale of a child’s naughty behavior that is followed by connection and kindness.” New York Times

“Thoughtful readers are the audience for this stunning book, which will generate questions and conversation once the gorgeously created work is done.” School Library Journal

* “The dramatic illustrations are a perfect complement to the minimalist text. … an unusual and significant book for children and a welcome addition to all library collections.” CM Magazine , starred review

Editorial Reviews

The Ranger is a memorable and beautifully illustrated picture book story … an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library picture book collections …

Midwest Book Review

★ 2019-04-14
Following The Outlaw (2018), this second title of a trilogy offers a new character to ponder.

Various elements link this to the first book, such as the pacing; limited palette, with an abundance of gray, green, and black; incorporation of newspaper fragments and 19th-century fabric patterns. Nevertheless, such knowledge is not necessary for comprehension. Readers first see the back of the protagonist—a figure rendered in watercolor that bleeds into the scene, masking identity. The page turn reveals a female of indeterminate race with long black braids. Vo employs color, plot twists, and dramatically changing perspectives to elicit surprise and maintain suspense. While moving through the forest, Annie discovers an orange fox, trapped and suffering. She releases the animal and binds its wound but resolves not to tame it. Her emotional position is underscored by her physical one. Seen from the fox's perspective, Annie appears as tall and unapproachable as the parallel tree trunks disappearing off the page. The creature accompanies the ranger on her journey; when a bear attacks and Annie is knocked unconscious, she is cared for by a mysterious woman, dressed in orange, casting the shadow of a fox. The ranger must then come to terms with her stubborn stance on independence in the face of friendship's rewards.

A restrained text fuses with visually arresting and enigmatic interactions to open a welcoming space for contemplation. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews