About the Author

Oliver Jeffers is a fresh new talent in picture books. He graduated from The University of Ulster in 2001 with First Class honours and has since exhibited his paintings around the world. His outstanding talent has already been recognised by several high-profile awards, including the Nestle Children's Book Prize Gold Award, the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award and the Irish Children's Book of the Year.

Reviews

"Pulls readers into a world of mystery and dreamlike imagery… Jeffers' unique style takes the picture book to a high level of brilliance and fun." Irish Examiner Praise for ‘The Incredible Book Eating Boy: "Mouth-wateringly irresistible" The Guardian Praise for ‘Lost and Found’: ‘An uplifting story…pictures of such spare beauty…suffused with a dreamlike quality.’ Independent Online Praise for ‘How to Catch a Star’: ‘The best recent picture book by light years, is stylishly spellbinding.’ Telegraph ‘Hail to new talent… If only all picture books could be this good.’ The Bookseller

Jeffers's (The Incredible Book-Eating Boy) forest creatures have dots for eyes and sticks for legs; they live in tidy holes in the ground, equipped with home offices and washing machines. Responsible citizens, they notice that trees in their forest are missing big branches, and organize themselves to find the perpetrator-readers know from the outset it's the bear, in need of paper for a paper airplane contest. The drama unfolds in neatly paced vignettes and comic book-style panels with the rounded corners of old television sets. Jeffers joins the speech balloons to his characters' mouths with ruled pencil lines; his spidery writing is a sweetly incongruous vehicle for fast-moving patter ("I'll be the detective and you can be the judge," the beaver tells the deer. "Why do I have to be the judge?'" the deer protests, and waves a hoof toward the pig. "Why not him?" "I'm the prosecutor, that's why," says the pig). The conclusion nods toward forgiveness and restorative justice, but it's the anti-crime tape that gets the laughs. Jeffers lobs a joke or two over the heads of young listeners, a gesture that will be welcomed by presiding adults. Ages 3-5. (Jan.) Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.

K-Gr 3-There's something amiss in the forest, as branches are mysteriously disappearing. At first, the animal friends accuse one another but when alibis pan out, they realize that they have a thief on their hands. Setting out to solve the mystery, they discover that the bear has been stealing branches and making them into not-very-good paper airplanes for a competition. After a short trial, he confesses and agrees to replant the trees he has destroyed, and the other critters help him reuse the wasted paper to create a prizewinning entry. Managed forestry is the theme of this book that features folk-art-style animals with funny little stick legs. The mixed-media illustrations nicely complement the spare yet eloquent text. Though this clever title may need hand-selling to readers, teachers will welcome it for lessons on the environment.-Angela J. Reynolds, Annapolis Valley Regional Library, Bridgetown, NS, Canada Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.