Title: The Great Carp Escape
Author: Irish Beth Maddock
Type: Fiction
Genre: Children’s
Publisher: Word Alive Press
Date Published: Jan. 13 2015
Format: E-book
Page Count: N/A
Source: NetGalley
E-copy of the book kindly provided, in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: Tadpoles, clams, and minnows wow! For siblings Beth and Paul, growing up on a lake is fun… until they re startled by a fishy find along the shoreline. When they discover the scaly, moustached carp, they become afraid. Seasons pass, and Beth and Paul avoid the swampy reeds at all costs until a flood brings about a life-or-death situation for the creepy looking carp, right in their own backyard! With guidance from their father, will Beth and Paul be able to overcome their apprehensions about the carp and help save them before it s too late?
★★★☆☆
What first drew me to this book was the cover and title. It sounded as if it would be a fun adventure book. However, while there was a bit of an adventure in the story, The Great Carp Escape more importantly teaches children to love and respect animals, no matter what they look like-a lesson which could then affect their interactions with humans also.
Siblings Beth and Paul like to play alongside a lake near their house. They avoid a swampy area surrounding a willow tree, however, because their father had told them that carp fish live there, and they consider carp to be ugly and scary. Due to a number of circumstances, however, Beth and Paul learn to appreciate the carp.
The message in this book was very important, and I would definitely buy this book for my kids. I did find a bit of a problem with the book however, which may hold myself, and other parents back. This book may not be suitable for families which are not Catholic, or simply do not want to label themselves.
The illustrations were pleasant to look at, although not beautiful, and the faded white rectangles behind some of the text bothered me a little. The block behind the text would fade out nicely, but then you could see the edges of it fade back in. I do not think that children would notice this, but it may bother detail-oriented adults like myself.
I would maybe recommend this book.
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Buy on Amazon.ca: Great Carp Escape
Buy on Amazon.com: Great Carp Escape, The