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Boney
CCBC Review:
While walking in the woods with her dog and her father, elementary school-aged Annabelle discovered a bone. Wondering if it had once belonged to an animal like a deer, a bear, or a wolf, curious Annabelle asks to take the bone home. Once the bone is cleaned and germ-free, Annabelle adds a ribbon and names it “Boney.” For the rest of the day, Boney has a seat at the table, a shoebox bed, and a trip in the wagon to the park. That night, Annabelle (white) dreams of running with a deer, a bear, and a wolf. In the morning, something is different, and she notices in the mirror that her face is sad. Unable to articulate her feelings, she heads to the backyard with her neighbor friend. Sitting with her sadness, Annabelle sees that her dog, Scoot, has dug a small hole in the dirt. Annabelle solemnly and suddenly puts Boney in the hole, with her friend helping to cover the bone with dirt. In an awkward, poetic, and believably child-centric moment, the two friends have a fleeting acknowledgment of existentialism before dashing off to the park to play. This quiet and quirky picture book sensitively explores one child’s earnest imagination and understanding of life’s hard realities. ©2022 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 5-9
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
Death and Dying
Empathy and Compassion
Feelings/Emotions
Imagination/Imaginary Play
Publishers:
Groundwood, House of Anansi
Publish Year: 2022
ISBN: 9781773065489
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Fagan