Pelican

by Brian Wildsmith

When a pelican hatches from the large egg Paul finds, he must teach the bird how to fish. Includes split pages.

Genres: Picture Books, Realistic Fiction, Birds, Animals, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Brian Wildsmith (1930-2016) was raised in a small mining village in Yorkshire, England, where, he says, "Everything was grey. There wasn't any colour. It was all up to my imagination. I had to draw in my head..."

He won a scholarship to the Slade School of Fine Art where he studied for three years. For a while he taught music at the Royal Military School of Music, but then gave it up so that he could paint full time.

He has deservedly earned a reputation as one of the greatest living children's illustrators. In 1962, he published his first children's book, ABC, for which he was awarded the Kate Greenaway Medal, Britain's equivalent to the Caldecott Medal. He was also a runner up for this medal for The Owl and the Woodpecker.

Wildsmith has said: "I believe that beautiful picture books are vitally important in subconsciously forming a child's visual appreciation, which will bear fruit in later life."

In 1994, the Brian Wildsmith Art Museum was established in Izukogen, a town south of Tokyo, Japan. Almost one and a half million people visited a traveling exhibition of his work in 2005. Eight hundred of his paintings are on loan to the museum.

Brian is married, has four children, and currently lives in the south of France.

— Source

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young boy finds an egg, which is given to a speckled hen to hatch. Everyone is surprised when out pops a pelican. The little chick has a hankering for fish, but doesn't know how to catch any, so the boy must teach the bird how to catch his own dinner.

Cute story, lovely illustrations.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copyright 1982 I am guessing that Wildsmith created this title when he was living in France as the illustrations give that feel of detailed Impressionism paintings. I loved the rural setting of the story portrayed in the illustrations. Also Wildsmith’s technique of inserting a half page illustrated insert into every double page illustration gives twice the amount of illustrations. The story line is a young boy finding a egg which hatches in a strange bird, a pelican and not the normal chick. The boy bonds with the pelican just like with any other pet, the the pelican has an eating problem. Recommend for adults just to enjoy the beautiful illustrations.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story of loving and letting go. Wildsmith's masterful watercolors enhance every page. In fact, every double-page spread has a half-page flap, with additional text on the other side of the flap.

[Kest Schwartzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some stunningly beautiful illustrations in this. There are also some... really just barely passable illustrations in this.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mix of fantasy, fable, and nature book? Interesting enough, but confirms that I was mistaken when I thought I remembered liking Wildsmith's art.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alissa said: Pelican is great. I loved the happy ending.
She also loved the "ugly duckling" idea.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet book about a boy with a pet pelican - how he protects his pelican, and how he lets him go at the end of the book.

At the very VERY end we find out that the pelican, now safe in the Land of the Pelicans, knew she was a girl the whole time. She lays an egg, and presumably the story starts over again.

[Kayla Soliday · Rating 3 out of 5]

unrealistic for a pelican to be a pet but a great way to teach about an unfamilar animal.