FICTION

The Lumberjack's Beard

by Duncan BEEDIE
illus. by Duncan Beedie. 40p. Candlewick. Oct. 2017. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780763696498.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2— Lumberjack Jim Hickory encounters angry animals when their homes are compromised as a result of his job. Jim kindly lets them to reside in his bushy beard, but before long his daily schedule is interrupted by the new residents, which causes him to shave. While the animals are happy making new homes out of Jim's beard scraps, Jim considers the bare landscape as he scratches his bare chin, and begins planting trees instead of cutting them down. The digital artwork is expressive with a style that reveals the creator's background in animating websites, games, and educational apps. Fans of Beedie's debut picture book The Bear Who Stared will not be disappointed.
VERDICT A funny read-aloud with a subtle conservational message.
Reviewed by Samantha Lumetta, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County
After burly lumberjack Jim Hickory chops down a tree in which a now-irate bird had a nest, he makes amends: "I suppose you could move into my beard." Soon he's hosting a similarly inconvenienced porcupine and beaver--and now it's Jim who's inconvenienced. The story's resolution is sublime, and Beedie's deadpan digital illustrations relay the nonstop silliness that cushions a worthy ecological message.
 , Jun 01, 2018

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