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In the grand tradition of Brian Froud (Faeries), and James Gurney (Dinotopia), Terryl Whitlatch has created a masterpiece of fantasy art - a brilliantly original world that comes to life through illustrations of remarkable beauty and richness. time and place, peopled by creatures that are at once fantastical and real. book's hero is Katook, a small but courageous young lemur who, when the story opens, is suffering from cold and hunger brought on by a seemingly endless winter. In spite of their prayers to the Great Fossah the winter stretches on and on. The High Priest of the Great Fossah summons all the lemurs to the Gathering Circle to perform the Ceremony of Renewal, but even this ancient ritual has no effect -- except to fatten the bellies of the Hai-Hai priests. The inquisitive Katook catches the priests in this shocking act of betrayal, but before he can report the news to the rest of the village, the priests capture him and banish him forever from the village. What follows is an exciting, adventure filled odyssey as Katook is expelled into the jungle and makes his way through the island, encountering both great peril and great marvels until at last he comes to the place where the secret of the Long Winter is revealed.… (more)
User reviews
The gorgeous illustrations, of course, have the most instant appeal. This is no thin picture book, but over 180 pages long and nearly every double page spread contains at least one delightful picture, filled with breath-taking detail. The turning of every page is a delight, and every time I study a picture there are new, exquisite details to be seen and more exotic creatures to be discovered. I just wish there was a list at the back or somewhere on the internet so that I could confirm my identifications of some of the more obscure species.
The story itself is equally delightful. It has a simple, fable-like quality that I enjoy immensely and matches well with the pictures. It tells the tale of Katook, a young lemur that is exiled from his troop for discovering what he shouldn't. He then sets out on an epic journey that takes him through a wide range of habitats and meets all sorts of quirky and intriguing characters, including Quigga, a somewhat arrogant Quagga. The two become good friends, and the ending hints at more to come.
This is a book I would dearly love to read aloud (had I anyone to read it to). Children today need more tales like this - a beautiful book, a charming story and some powerful and important messages about friendship and family. It also brings awareness to some of the animals we have lost, and some that we will lose if we're not careful.
Everyone, young or old, that loves animals, NEEDS to own this book.