Honey Paw and Lightfoot

by Jonathan London, Jon Van Zyle (Illustrator)

Overview

In the wake of the success of their first book, The Eyes of Gray Wolf, this bestselling author/artist team joins forces once again, this time to create a compelling story about the endangered grizzly bear. Simple, poetic text follows Lightfoot from newborn bear to curious cub to adolescent bear, ready to head off on his own. Full-color illustrations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781941821107
Publisher:	Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company
Publication date:	09/01/2014
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jonathan London is the author of more than fifty books for children. He lives in Northern California with his family. Read more about the inspiration behind Jonathan's work.

Jon Van Zyle is the official artist of both the Iditarod Sled Dog race and the International Federation of Sled Dog Sports. His posters and lithographs are prized by collectors. Mr. Van Zyle and his wife, Charlotte, live in Alaska, where they maintain a do

Read an Excerpt

If Lightfoot strayed, Honey Paw swatted him back into line.
But not all was the business of finding food; mother and cub liked to play.

Swoosh! Honey Paw and Lightfoot plunged down the slopes skidding to a stop in a shower of slush.
Again and again¬—swoosh!—sliding on belly,
back, and rump, rolling head over tail.

Editorial Reviews

The author and artist who produced The Eyes of Gray Wolf here poetically and artistically portray a grizzly's birth and coming of age. Borrowing nicknames given to brown bears by native peoples of Eurasia, London's narrative reflects a time-honored awe of the powerful creatures. When Honey Paw meets Old Man of the Mountains, "It was June, the mating moon of grizzlies,/ and that night, under stars,/ the two great bears/ became a pair." Soon after they part company, Honey Paw gives birth to Lightfoot, "a furry ball of hunger" whose adventures fill the rest of the tale. Bear fur, spring slush, river falls-Van Zyle's painterly illustrations capture these textures in full-bleed spreads somewhat reminiscent of Ted Rand's work. Similarly, the rhythms of London's carefully structured verse create simple yet affecting images of the natural world. An eloquent and informative endnote decries the threat of extinction of Ursus arctos. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

The story follows Honey Paw, an adult female grizzly, from mating (they "became a pair" ) through the birth and first year of her cub, Lightfoot. An endnote fills in some facts about grizzlies around the world, but young readers will be drawn more to the combination of learning and fun captured in the story of the mother and cub than to the information. The striking double-page-spread pictures insist children see the world in which the bears live: the water, land, and sky are as important as the fur coats and expressive faces of the animals. And, the book's implicit plea for wilderness preservation is eloquent.

Mary Harris Veeder

The author and artist...poetically and artistically portray a grizzly's birth and coming of age. Publishers Weekly

...young readers will be drawn...to the combination of learning and fun...The book's implicit plea for wilderness preservation is eloquent. Booklist

From the Publisher