March 26, 2018
“The golden glow is a plant from the Wellhidden family. It is very rare and only grows high in the mountains.” Fox, who’s interested in botany, sets out to find the golden glow. A tall, skinny fellow, Fox is rendered, like the other figures in French artist Flouw’s world, as a kind of collage of squared-off polygons, while rich, natural-looking colors—moss greens, magentas, and pale rose—give softness to the images. In order to find the golden glow, Fox must first find Marmot, and before he finds Marmot, he has to consult with Wolf. All the animals behave with admirable politeness, and Fox’s quest alternates with detailed spreads, in which Flouw presents the equipment Fox takes (tent, rain jacket, map, grape pâté sandwiches), the trees he sees (“the famous maple,” “the sturdy larch”), alpine flowers, and even levels of climatology (“montane zone,” “subalpine zone”). Morelli and Ouriou’s translation flows nicely, and the story’s mysterious golden glow flower (nonexistent in reality) serves as a McGuffin around which Flouw builds his striking introduction to botanical exploration. Ages 4–8.
March 15, 2018
An anthropomorphic fox searches for a rare flower in this Canadian import translated from the French.When plant-lover Fox, perusing a botany book, comes across an entry for a "golden glow...plant from the Wellhidden family," he knows he must find it. He packs his backpack, and a double-page spread shows and labels the items packed: map, snack, sleeping bag, etc. Author/illustrator Flouw continues to use this device as he showcases the plants, trees, and regions that Fox identifies as he travels; the technique adds an original layer to the somewhat formulaic journey story. Fox meets and asks other anthropomorphic animals (Bear, Wolf, Marmot, Mountain Goat) if they have seen the flower, and their suggestions eventually lead Fox to a mountaintop. The distinctive illustrations are done in a nature-hued palette and have a collagelike style consisting of superimposed angular flat shapes that strikingly render depth and perspective by using darker or lighter tones (as well as white space) and larger or smaller shapes. One fascinating double-page spread, laid out like a camera panning from left to right, moves readers' eyes to the page turn while giving a sense of movement and time. The story is solid enough, but it's the illustrations that steal the show. (Picture book. 3-7)
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May 1, 2018
Grades K-3 Fox loves botany, but there's one flower he still hasn't seen: the golden glow, which only grows on the summit of a nearby mountain. Determined Fox packs up for a hike and leaves before dawn, encountering many helpful animals on his way, as well as numerous plants, which are identified in Flouw's stylish, geometric style. As Fox climbs up the various levels of the mountain (marked out in a helpful diagram on the preceding page), he's worried that the summit will be too high for such a rare and delicate flower, but he makes a delightful discovery as the sun starts to set on his beautiful day on the trail. Flouw nicely integrates diagrams and information about backpacking into this pleasant, eye-catching picture book, and his blocky, colorful artwork has a friendly, modern feel. When Fox finally finds his prized flower, he decides to draw a picture instead of taking it home, which demonstrates good mountaineering etiquette. A pleasant blend of fiction and nonfiction, this will serve as a helpful introduction to hiking for little ones.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)
January 1, 2019
This story (translated from the French) of a backpacking fox's journey to find a special flower and draw it in his botany journal teaches subtle lessons in wilderness preparedness, plant identification, altitude zones, and conservation. Fox eventually locates the elusive flower on a mountaintop, assisted by several animal companions along the way. Flouw's blocky, collage-like art includes dynamic landscapes and occasional field guidestyle spreads.
(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)