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CM . . . . Volume XXI Number 3 . . . . September 19, 2014
excerpt:
Using animals common to Newfoundland, Dwayne LaFitte has created a pleasant Newfoundland version of the classic counting rhyme/song "Over in the Meadow".
The icing on this cake are the illustrations by Thérèse Cilia, who has brought many Newfoundland settings to life. Her use of watercolour with defining ink lines is particularly skillful. With a spare hand, she knows just when and where to add a line. The illustrations of the beavers at the lodge, the cod in the sea, and the seals on the ice are especially fine. The beavers are glowing, the sea has depth, and the seals look warm in a cold environment. I tested this book with my five-year-old grandson, and we both enjoyed the experience, stomping, barking, and counting. Over by the Harbour is a worthwhile addition to a collection because of its ability to represent a region and because of the quality of the rhyme and the illustrations. It should be a popular purchase for visitors to Newfoundland who wish to bring home a delightful taste of that place. Highly Recommended. Rebecca King retired in July 2014 with 25 years of service as a Library Support Specialist with the Halifax Regional School Board.
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- September 19, 2014. |
Moose, puffins, Newfoundland dogs, beavers, cod, seals, foxes, ponies, polar bears, and Canada geese populate this rhyme. LaFitte dedicates the book to his son, Liam. LaFitte's love for his son and for Newfoundland gives the text a warm glow. It is also commendable that he has been able to maintain the rhythm and meter of the original, making his new version very singable.