The Three Brothers by Marie-Louise Gay

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Three Brothers by Marie-Louise Gay Kate Quealy-Gainer, Assistant Editor Gay, Marie-Louise The Three Brothers; written and illus. by Marie-Louise Gay. House of Anansi/Groundwood, 2020 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781773063775 $19.95 Reviewed from digital galleys R 4-7 yrs Finn and his little brothers love adventure stories of animals out in the wild, so one morning, with sandwiches, binoculars, and compass in tow, the three siblings head out into the snowy landscape to find some woodland creatures. Despite their best efforts, however, they don't see the foxes, bears, and chipmunks their grandpa told them used to live here, and Finn has to explain that the animals' disappearances likely have to do with the changing weather, the floods, fires, and storms that Grandpa had also told them about. The boys ponder that for a bit as they munch their sandwiches, eventually deciding that if they can't see animals, they'll make them out of snow and perhaps bring Grandpa out tomorrow to help with the details. This is a solemn little tale about the changing climate, but an honest one, and though it will likely need some shaping by an adult to spark a true conversation about the state of the planet and the human impact on it, the book refreshingly avoids both nihilism and blissful optimism. Gay's characteristic art, here watercolor-predominant mixed media, similarly balances playful cheer with a sense of loss, as little brother gambols through the forest in an old bear costume while creatures delicately sketched in white timidly follow the trio, a reminder to the viewer of what wonders the boys are missing out on. Soft edges, dappled textures, and washes of subdued hues convey the hushed quiet of a wintry landscape, while pops of colors in the siblings' hats and scarves focus the scenes. There are no direct answers here about what the next steps in mitigating climate change can be, but the story offers a timely, gentle introduction to an increasingly complex and, for this generation, very concrete challenge. Copyright © 2020 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois