Review: Welcome Home, Beaver! by Magnus Weightman

WELCOME HOME, BEAVER!

by Magnus Weightman

Clavis

Picture Book

ages 4+ 

32 pages 

COMING. . .

NOVEMBER 1st, 2017!!!

Beaver is seeking adventures, but he has lost the way. Now he wants to go home again. Does he live in that hidden hole underneath an oak tree? In the nest high up on the roof? Or in that big tower of mud? Architect Magnus Weightman takes you along on a visit of numerous fabulous animal dwellings. Will you help Beaver to find his own home?

MY TIDBITS

It's 'up and away' in a wonderful exploration to some of the less known animals of the world and their exciting homes.

Beaver is floating down river but finds himself in the middle of a big city. . .no where near his home. Luckily, Akita, the adventure dog, spots him from her hot air balloon and offers to help get him back to his warm abode. The trip takes them to many new places to meet animals around the world.

What a lovely trip! There is so much to love in this picture book, that I had to read it several times before writing this review. 

The text is fairly simple and flows with a great repetition, exactly the kind which kids enjoy to hear as they go from one scene to the next. Akita and Beaver take off to the North Pole, to deep Africa and beyond. Each time Akita asks if the animal's home they happen across is Beaver's. Of course, it isn't. This is where the play between word and text perfectly weave together. Although the text only makes a general statement, the illustrations are packed with details. There is so much to discover at each animal's home, fun things. There's always something new to discover every time kids flip through, which will definitely keep them coming back for more.

These animal homes aren't the common well-known ones, but rather introduce young listeners/readers to some 'homes' they haven't necessarily run across before. Storks, foxes, termites, and weaverbird are only a few of the creatures visited. Even adults will discover a few things they might not have known before.

Warm feelings of security and comfort close off the tale as Beaver finally finds his own home and is glad to be there. But this isn't a book that will be set down after that last page and forgotten. It's one to flip through and read time and again.