Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
The Hunter
Illustrator: Tim Jessell
Picture Book
For ages 5 to 7
Creative Editions, 2018 ISBN: 978-1568462974
The alarm goes off when world is still shrouded in “black velvet darkness.” The man lights a fire, makes coffee, dresses, picks up his gun, and walks into the forest. The sun is just coming up.
A rabbit dashes right in front of him, drawing the man’s attention to a spider web that is dotted with gems of dew, and a milkweed pod that is letting lose its soft fluffy seeds. Against the backdrop of glowing fall trees little finches fly overhead.
Then the man sees a doe and her fawn who are standing next to a stream. They freeze, waiting to see if there is danger about. When the doe is reassured that all is well, she leads her young one to where “long, tender, grasses” are growing. The man watches as the animals feed and slowly he raises his gun. He knows all too well what to do, and yet, something stays his hand.
This stunning book takes readers into a forest in fall giving them a taste of the beautiful things that such a place at such a time has to offer. As the story unfolds, readers see how the hunter is affected by what he sees, and how he discovers something about his place in the natural world.
