Children’s Book Review: One Hungry Heron
One Hungry Heron, by Toronto author Carolyn Beck, is a beautifully designed counting book. From the titular “One hungry heron/ tall and still,” to the “Ten tiny turtles/ looking for sun,” readers are introduced to wetland wildlife. The corresponding numeral appears in the top corner of each page and the number words are highlighted in bold in the text. When storm clouds gather and rain pours down, the creatures search for shelter and the countdown is on.
The rhyming text is poetic and full of action: beavers “lug and tug” while building a dam; snakes slither through ferns; and darting dragonflies hover over lily pads. The cadence and rhythm of the verse changes with each creature, such as when the skittish water walkers “skim, skitter, skate/there, here, there,” while the slow, deliberate turtles perch on a log “one by one, /by one, by one,/by one, one, one.”
Karen Patkau’s digitally enhanced illustrations are breathtakingly realistic, and the artful composition features a variety of perspectives, including a close-up view of a frog’s tongue snapping up flies, and an underwater glimpse of swimming catfish. The lush flora and fauna of the pond creates a vibrant backdrop for the search-and-find numeracy game. Fun and informative, One Hungry Heron offers countless early learning opportunities.
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