Coyote

by Lee Harper

Author’s COYOTE is based on the real events of the morning I learned of my brother Chase's unexpected death — a morning when I actually saw and rode with a coyote — then returned home to learn that Chase was gone. Retold through the eyes of a child, COYOTE is a gentle and lyrical picture book dealing with the subject of loss. It is my hope that COYOTE will help children talk about loss and to show how art can be used to help heal the hurt of losing someone you love. In Chase's memory, my wife Krista and I have been donating our share of the proceeds to the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary in Newtown, Connecticut. ~Lee Harper

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 5, 2013

About the author

I am a picture-book author/illustrator empty-nesting on a small farm in Pennsylvania with my wife Krista, a German shepherd, two barn-cats, ten chickens, four sheep, and two pigs. I have four children: Naomi, Nathan, Will, and Dan.

New in 2022 and 2023 are TURKEY'S VALENTINE SURPRISE and TURKEY'S SANDTASTIC BEACH DAY, my sixth and seventh illustrating collaboration with author Wendi Silvano.

I received my formal art training at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

Reviews

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

COYOTE is about loss. It's very simply told. A little boy meets a coyote. For a magical time, they are in each others' worlds. When the coyote disappears, the child searches for him in all the spots their paths had crossed. But the boy can't find his friend.

It's not over-done at all. Just simple truth that anyone who has experienced loss will understand. The illustrations feel honest, almost raw. As if the author has reached deep in his art and brought his feelings to the paper with dazzling color and energetic lines.

COYOTE is a book I will share in the future with friends and family when I'm searching for the right words.

[Erik This Kid Reviews Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I Thought- This was a simple book with a lot behind the words. The book itself is just about the boy and his bike ride with the coyote, which he never sees again. Enter the symbolism. The book was written as a tribute after the sudden passing of Mr. Harper’s brother. The book shows Mr. Harper’s love for his brother, and his shock at no longer being able to see him. I saw Mr. Harper at a book-festival, and asked why the book was self-published, instead of by a traditional publisher – he said that he didn’t want an editor to try to rewrite the book because it was just the tribute he wanted for his brother. That really touched me. The book is illustrated in gorgeous water-colors, adding a little bit of surreal-ness to the book. I think that this book will be a necessary read for children who have lost a loved one.
*NOTE* I reviewed a copy of this book I got at a festival

[Adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Lee Harper, for a beautifully illustrated telling of a personal story. Simply told, but richly communicative, this interpretation of the author's personal tragedy is poignant, and the intense, richly colored illustrations are brilliantly matched.
If the story doesn't tug at your heartstrings, the author's note surely will.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite of Lee Harper's books. The paintings are absolutely beautiful, and the story is so touching. I had some really good, although tough, discussions with some of my classes about loss, fleeting moments, and the symbolism of the coyote as his brother. An all around wonderful book. I wish I could get it in hard cover for my library.