Young Llama Thoughts
-
Adventurous
-
Christian Friendly
-
Easy Reading
-
Humerous
-
Youth Appropriate
Overall
Review
This book not only has gorgeous illustrations and a fun book size, ( It’s squarish) it’s also a cute story about freedom and friendship that kids 9 and up would love!!!
Johannes is a free dog in a park by the sea. Free to run faster than light itself, he is the Eyes for the mighty Bison that are tasked to keep the park balanced and at peace. But as Johannes precious park begins changing, so does his mission. Now he wants to free the Bison and help them escape their island. But danger is around every turn and Johannes is the only one who can help them…
This book was amazing! I honestly just love how simple kid books are. The plot line is basically about freeing his friends and saving their lives. And it’s sooo well done!!! With a great message about freedom and hope, this book is sooooo well written and one I most definitely suggest to boys and girls 9 and up!
The only warnings I should give is that in animals books, some creatures die. (Nature isn’t friendly!) There isn’t blood or gore, just mention of death and such. The birds have the biggest issue. In the book they believe the last flight is a beautiful thing. An injured bird will fly over the ocean, soar as high as it can, then fall to it’s death by crashing into the sea… It’s barbaric and the wild dog doesn’t like it in the book. There is also mention of an animals believing the Sun is God and “She” watches over them. (My assumption is, the animal world depends heavily on the mother figure more than the father. So the author writing from a dog view, had the Sun, which is important to animals be viewed as female. Weird I know.)
Overall, this book is one I adore!!!! The adventure is fun, I loved reading from the dogs point of view, and honestly this book is perfect for kids!!! (Minus the weird Sun girl God thing…) If you are looking for a fun, survival, animal themed book, I think I found the story for you! -The Young Llama Reader.
Pros
- A fantastic novel about freedom!!!
- Great for boys and girls 9 and up!
- Golden Llama Award!
Cons
- Some violence.
- A weird mention of the Sun being God?
Johannes, a free dog, lives in an urban park by the sea. His job is to be the Eyes—to see everything that happens within the park and report back to the park’s elders, three ancient Bison. His friends—a seagull, a raccoon, a squirrel, and a pelican—work with him as the Assistant Eyes, observing the humans and other animals who share the park and making sure the Equilibrium is in balance.
But changes are afoot. More humans arrive in the park. A new building, containing mysterious and hypnotic rectangles, goes up. And then there are the goats—an actual boatload of goats—who appear, along with a shocking revelation that changes Johannes’s view of the world.
Lushly illustrated with old world paintings and new artwork from Caldecott honoree Shawn Harris, this story about friendship, beauty, liberation (and running very, very fast), will make readers of all ages see the world around them in a wholly new way.
