Bigfoot vs Yeti: a love story by James Foley

"The Bigfoot say it started when a Yeti threw a snowball across the rift. The Yetis say it started wen a Bigfoot threw some fruit across the rift."

Think about the word 'rift'. It can mean a large crack in the ground or a serious disagreement that separates individuals. In this book both meanings apply. 

Late one night two younger community members are left to guard the edge of the rift - a Bigfoot named Bevan and a Yeti named Yolanda. Yes, we have a boy and a girl. There is of course no way to cross the rift it is way too wide but "does it really go on forever?" After days of their journey Bevan and Yolanda finally come face to face and instead of fighting they help one another and "and slowly, ever so slowly, the rift began to narrow." Yes, this is a love story and the end does contain a heart-warming twist but for me the interesting part comes before this scene when it is clear there are still some community members Bigfoot and Yeti who "could neither forgive or forget." 

They were sent back "back to the village and the mist and the rift. And they're still there to this day, hurling insults into the wind."

As I was reading Bigfoot vs Yeti by James Foley I thought of these books (see below) which I used to share with my Grade Five students as part of a conflict resolution theme. Notice the title of Bigfoot vs Yeti also says - A love story. The ending reminded me of a favourite book - Clancy the Courageous Cow. 

The Two Giants

The Seed

Bigfoot vs Yeti (trailer)

Blurb: The Bigfoots say it started when a Yeti threw a snowball across the rift. The Yetis say it started when a Bigfoot threw some fruit across the rift. Who could say for sure? One night, a young Bigfoot and Yeti decide to find the end of the rift so they can finish the feud – once and for all. 

“So very clever! The buildup in this story and the unexpected (but perfect) change of colour from black and white to colour … James Foley has given us a story to remember and perhaps learn from too.“

– Dr Belle Alderman AM, Emeritus Professor of Children’s Literature, Director of the National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature

This link will take you to different teachers notes for Bigfoot vs Yeti. Readings Melbourne list three reasons to read Bigfoot vs Yeti. Here is the Storylinks review.

This picture book is so clever on many levels. Big, serious themes such as conflict, culture, racism, war, history and social norms are all explored in an accessible and humorous manner but will invite deep discussion. ... The graphic novel elements, used for the most part in the book, will appeal to many readers, and the final page is a surprising, humourous and delightful ... Reading Time

Look for this wonderful book by James Foley:

Stellarphant

A Horse Called Now by Ruth Doyle illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey

The horse is named Now and she is very wise. When the farm animals rush up to her full of worries she gently questions their fears. The Rabbits are sure a Fox chasing them but Now suggests they stop and look around. Can they see the Fox? No. Perhaps they should just enjoy some dandelions. Hen is sure the Magpie is after her chicks. But Now suggests she should look up. Can Hen see a swooping bird. No. 

"At this moment all is well. Why don't you search for some juicy grubs?

The Sheep is also very afraid but Now reassures her she is quite safe. Then a thunderstorm arrives - nothing to worry about - Now leads them all safely into the barn. Oh no - there are animals in the barn - are they scary? No. It's an old Fox, Magpie and a small puppy. 

"Now told the others. 'There's nothing to fear. Fox is looking somewhere warm to rest, Magpie only wants to collect shiny things and the Farmer's new dog is just a puppy, scared of the storm."

Anxiety is often about the 'what if' scenario. The animals express this as 'might'.

"... it might be his scarlet coat .... it might be his huge tail that trails fire ... he might sneak up ..."

"Magpie might have a beak as sharp as a famer's knife ... she might have wings that wrap and trap us"

This book could be quite didactic, but it is not. You could use this book to talk to young children about fear, anxiety, perception of danger, and point of view. I recommend you add this book to your school library. Nosy Crow consistently produce terrific books. 

The illustrations are also beautiful. A Horse Called Now was published in 2024 and it is available in paperback for a very good price.

Most mindfulness primers are a list of directives; this tale has the slow-moving grace of a fable. Kirkus

Doyle’s prose is beautiful and descriptive, introducing young readers to a lovely and sophisticated use of language through onomatopoeia, similes, and a rich vocabulary. Finkeldey’s expansive illustrations lend a vintage charm ...  School Library Journal

A Horse Called Now beautifully encapsulates the journey of overcoming worries and embracing the present moment. ‘When I’m afraid, I breathe in and out and let the feelings come . . . and then go. Nothing lasts forever.’ In today’s world, mental health awareness is paramount, especially for young children. The story instils the notion that it’s perfectly alright not to feel okay at times, and that seeking help is a commendable action. Through its narrative, A Horse Called Now emphasises the significance of friendship and support networks. Just Imagine

Here are two other books by Ruth Doyle:

Dreams for our Daughters

Alexandra Finkeldey is a freelance artist based in Kingston, Canada. Her book titles include:  On a Mushroom Day by Chris Baker (Tundra Books, 2024), Saving the Spotted Owl by Nicola Jones (Kids Can Press, 2023), The Boy, the Cloud and the Very Tall Tale by Heather Smith (Orca Books, 2023), When the Storks Came Home by Isabella Tree (Ivy Kids, 2022) True Stories of Animal Heroes: Talala by Vita Murrow (Frances Lincoln, 2021). 

The Parrot and the Merchant by Marjan Vafaian translated by Azita Rassi

Mah Jahan was a merchant. She collected beautiful things to sell but she also collected birds.

"She kept them in cages or in chains so they couldn't fly away and leave her."

Her favourite bird was a colourful talking parrot from India. Setting off to trade in India, Mah Jahan asked her parrot:

"Tell me what I can bring you to make you happy."

Do you know what will make this parrot happy? 

Here are all her goods loaded onto her camels:

Just as she was about to head back home, Mah Jahan remembered to ask the wild parrots for advice - what will make her parrot at home happy? These parrots cannot talk of course and sadly one dies after hearing the question. On her return, Mah Jahan tells her parrot she has no answer to the question of happiness and that one of the wild parrots had dropped dead. 

"Mah Jahan's parrot said nothing, but after a moment it too suddenly went still, and it dropped to the floor of the cage."

Can you guess what happens when Mah Jahan opens the cage and gently lifts out her precious parrot. YES, it is a trick, and the parrot flies off to freedom (and back to India).

This book has the most wonderful art and a very satisfying story. Be quick - this book in hardcover is available now for a really good price. Since it was published in 2017, I am sure it will soon be out of print. I highly recommend adding this one to your library collection - the art is scrumptious. Or look for the paperback edition [9781910328255]. 

Publisher (Tiny Owl) blurb: This exquisitely illustrated story is an enchanting fable exploring how hard it is to give something you love freedom. The merchant Mah Jahan loves to keep colourful birds in cages, especially a parrot who can talk to her. But when the parrot asks her to bring something back from her trading trip to India, Mah Jahan learns a valuable lesson about how to treat the things and people you love.

This old Rumi tale is adapted by making the merchant a woman but is not otherwise significantly modernized. Iranian illustrator Vafaeian’s ornamented, often surreal illustrations depict Mah Jahan in enormous, colorful skirts and frequently surrounded by comparatively tiny servants. The parrot’s cage is likewise stylized, an ornamented circle that contains the unhappy captive. ...  This 900-year-old story has not lost its classic feel. Kirkus

Read about Marjan Vafaian here.

Try to find some other books about the thirteenth century poet and philosopher Rumi.

Read more about this book here.

Read more about this book here.

This story might remind you of The Nightingale by Hans Christian Andersen.

One Bee too Many by Andrés Pi Andreu illustrated by Kim Amate

I love the little touches of humor in this story which I am sure any adult sharing this book with a young child will really enjoy such as this:

"One day, the bees met in the hive to discuss why they were always so cramped. They didn't have enough space to play sudoku, Parcheesi and or even checkers."

On this page the bees are reading their newspaper - the Honey Times. And on the page where the bees are talking about how to find this terrible extra bee the law book has the title - Bee Laws by Bee Good. You might also spot a Rubics cube, security cameras, and a machine called a pinocchiotronic - yes it's a lie detector.

The bees are in a housing crisis. They employ three architects - naturally things in the hive are based on a hexagon. The experts conclude there is one bee too many and immediately accusations fly around the room - this is such a disturbing scene:

• a foreign bee
• an immigrant bee
• a dirty bee
• a robber eating OUR honey
• it might carry germs
• it wants to take my job

How can the members of the hive find this extra bee. Should they assign a number to each bee - no. The lawyer suggests everyone needs a passport and birth certificate; and the linguist suggests listening to every bee as a way to detect a foreign accent.

Finally the Queen Bee steps in with her words of wisdom and the obvious solution. 

There are fabulous words in this book - incredulously; dramatic pause; hysteria; requirements; worrisome; and chilling conclusion. 

Adults will quickly recognize the allegory with parallels to immigration and racism issues of the present day and perhaps grasp the lesson of the queen bee. If only we could find such human wisdom. Friends Journal

Featuring surreal and elaborate illustrations reminiscent of Catalan modernism, readers are sure to find new surprising details in every read. Originally published in Spanish, it has won prestigious awards such as the White Ravens List, Golden Medal of the Campoy-Ada Award, and USA National Children Literature Award. from Dymocks bookseller page

I would like to find the context for this quote from the back cover of the book: “The picture book comes across inconspicuously, but it is the most beautiful and cleverest philosophical book that has been on the book market for a long time” ―Hans Christian Andersen Committee - I am not sure if the author or illustrator were perhaps nominated for the HCAA Award.

Another reviewer quoted on the back cover uses the words - whimsy, delight, moving and captivating.

Listen to a sample of an audio reading. Kim Amate comes from Spain and Andrés Pi Andreu is originally from Cuba but now lives in the US.

Pair this book with:

Scary Bird

It is not related to this book but in February I will also be reading and talking another bee book by Australian author Megan Daley illustrated by Max Hamilton.

Foxlight by Katya Balen

"I feel like I'm looking at something I have known forever and something I don't know at all. It's like a golden thread of light is spinning out from my chest and right into the eyes of this wild creature 

and we are joined and connected by something fragile and strange and familiar. The fox is freedom."

Two babies are found in the wilderness near a home for abandoned babies. 

"Rey and I were found at foxlight. That's what Lissa tells us. Right at that very moment when quiet twilight met the dawn and the sun and the moon and the stars wove their own light together and the orange streaks of foxes could be seen brushing against the awakening sky. ... We were curled up small and quiet like question marks in a swirl of snow and orange fur and white teeth. Lissa nearly didn't see us because she wasn't looking for babies out there right at that wild untamed border."

Lissa is the gentle carer of young found children. Each of the other children has a story and each has been found with a note from their mother - all except Rey and her sister Fen (our narrator). 

On Sunday nights Zaki, Alex, Jasmine, Alice, and Robin write letters to their mothers. Lisa has given each of these children a middle name that links with the time they were found but Fen and Rey were not found with a note or keepsake from their mother. It is Lissa who names them Fen and Rey but they feel desolate every Sunday evening because they have no one to write to.

Let's just take a minute to notice these prophetic names. Rey made me think of the folktale name Reynard. And with Fen I thought of the fennec fox.

To comfort themselves the girls have created a whole imaged world featuring their mother. Every night they tell each other stories. It is a game they call "Let's play imagine". 

It seems a little bit trite to use this expression, but I thought of the words 'loose lips sink ships' when Rey and Fen overhear something said by an elderly man who visits to repair the broken fence after an attack by a fox who has killed one of their precious chickens. 

"That blinking woman used to feed them, the wild one, no shoes, wandered the wildlands with the rest of those nutters."

"There was a group of them once, load of blinking barefooters. Wilders, they called themselves. Living out there ... they thought they could bring it all back to life. Those lands been dead longer than I've been alive. ... No one comes back from the wildlands."

Go back to the quote at the top of this post. The girls, especially Fen, believe the fox can lead them to their mother. This woman described by Marl surely is their mother. The believe their mother is waiting in the wilderness for them to return. Finding their mother will give them answers to all their life questions. Taking very few supplies they set off walking into the unknown. 

This is such a different reading experience. The whole story has the feel of a fable. The name of the house hints at this:

"The house is called the Light House because it's the only flickering glow in a wild and empty land and everyone knows how to find it. Its light guides the mothers towards it so they can leave their babies safely."

The first night the sisters sleep outside and an animal, possibly the fox, ransacks their supplies. This broke my heart but then on the second night they find a small cabin. It has clearly been abandoned but it contains food, a can opener and a map! They discover that the wilderness contains many small houses or huts. 

The pace of this story is also interesting. The girls make their journey to find their longed-for mother but, apart from daily survival, there is no real urgency to their journey. I'm sure you have noticed most stories involving a journey or a quest have a layer of time - a deadline - which moves the plot along with a sense of dread that time is running out. There is no real deadline here except the girls' desperate search for answers and for the mother of their imagining. 

I also loved the way Katya Balen gave each girl a different personality - one quiet and contemplative and the other impetuous and boisterous. But then this changes and we see Rey express herself in an unexpected way. Fen finds herself alone. This was the part enjoyed because it was such an unexpected plot twist and because as twins these two girls feel like two parts of a whole. With one girl missing everything felt out of balance. I think I held my breath from pages 176 to page 212 (36 pages). 

"I feel so small and alone. There is not second heartbeat, no quiet wild sister. We have never been apart for more than minutes. I keep opening my mouth to talk to empty air. It feels like I have been ripped in two and my edges are jagged."

The writing in this book is so atmospheric. It is also interesting to think about point of view in a first-person narrative. I'm not sure I would read this book to a group of students, but it would be a beautiful one to read aloud in a family or to put into the hands of an avid reader aged 10+ especially a reader who is looking for a gentle, emotional reading experience.

Author blurb: Fen and Rey were found curled up small and tight in the fiery fur of the foxes at the very edge of the wildlands. Fen is loud and fierce and free. She feels a connection to foxes and a calling from the wild that she's desperate to return to. Rey is quiet and shy and an expert on nature. She reads about the birds, feeds the lands and nurtures the world around her. They are twin sisters. Different and the same. Separate and connected. They will always have each other, even if they don't have a mother and don't know their beginning. But they do want answers. Answers to who their mother is and where she might be. What their story is and how it began. So when a fox appears late one night at the house, Fen and Rey see it as a sign - it's here to lead them to their truth, find their real family and fill the missing piece they have felt since they were born. But the wildlands are exactly that: wild. They are wicked and cruel and brutal and this journey will be harder and more life changing than either Fen or Rey ever imagined ...

There is an almost mystical quality to this story ...  I found it compelling, and incredibly moving, and I cannot emphasise enough how utterly beautiful the writing is. ... there are no whizz-bang adventures or dramatic encounters with dangerous beasts or whatever. The challenges that face these two girls are more of their own making often, though it is true they are also battling the elements, which are truly wild and often brutal.  ... Perfectly engrossing and enchanting in equal measure.

Read October October also by Katya Balen.

October October

What about me? by Ed Young

"Grand Master you are wise. How many I gain a little bit of your knowledge.' ... 'You need to bring me a small carpet for my work."

And so, the boy sets off to find a small carpet. The carpet maker says he will help if the boy brings him some thread. The spinner woman who has thread will help if the boy brings her a goat because she needs goat hair to make the thread. The goat-keeper demands, of all things, goats! The goat seller wants a pen to stop his goats from straying. The carpenter asks the boy to find him a wife - wow this is getting very complicated. The matchmaker says:

"Bring me knowledge, and I will give you the young girl's name to take to the carpenter."

The boy was stunned:

"But ... but we cannot get knowledge without a carpet no carpet without thread, no thread without hair, no hair without a goat, no goat without a pen, no pen without a wife for the carpenter."

This could be the end of the tale but in a serendipitous moment the young man meets a carpet merchant with a daughter. Luckily, she already knows the carpenter and yes, she loves him. So, the pen is built, the goats are gathered, one goat provides the hair for the thread which the spinner can then spin and finally the carpet maker can make that small carpet. 

Now go back to the original question - has the boy found knowledge - the Grand Master is certain that he has.

"Some of the most precious gifts that we receive are those we receive when we are giving and often knowledge comes to us when we least expect it."

This is a Sufi tale from the Middle East. Sufi teaching-tales, like the tales of Aesop, are fables that entertain as they teach. "Their clever construction and witty conclusions bring pleasure to young and old, while their morals provide subtle wisdom and truth for all" Preface to What about me?

I talked in detail about Ed Young in a long post over the weekend. You can see inside this book here. 

Sadly, What about me? is now out of print but if you can find a copy in a library you could pair this book with Mirror by Jeannie Baker.

The Puppets of Spelhorst: A Norendy Tale by Kate DiCamillo illustrated by Julie Morstad

At its heart this is a story about the serendipity of life. It is also a quietly understated love story (and you know I adore those). And a story about the fulfilment of hopes and dreams. 

Five puppets languish in a toy store. There is an owl made from real feathers. A young girl with striking violet eyes. A boy with a bow and arrow set. A King who is wearing a crown. And a wolf with very sharp teeth. By chance, a lonely old sea Captain sees the puppets in the window of a toy store. He has no reason to buy this set of toys but the young girl, with her violet eyes, rekindles and old memory of his lost love from long ago. Back at home that night the man named Spelhorst writes a letter, and he places it in his old travelling trunk. This is the final act of his life but it is not the final act for the set of puppets. Their adventures are about to begin - be sure to listen carefully to their hopes and dreams.

The old sailor's trunk is sold and eventually ends up in a home with two young girls. The older girl, Emma, knows these puppets should be part of a play. She finds and reads the letter, but we still have no idea what it says. At this point the fate of those five very different puppets is in the balance. The owl is mistaken for a feather duster and he ends up in a cleaning bucket. The younger sister, as is the way with very young children, takes the boy and the wolf. Her treatment of the wolf made me gasp. And we watch as the boy, in a way I won't explain here, ends up in the top branches of a tree. 

Finally, we come to the night of the play. Emma has written the script and made the scenery. She needs her younger sister Martha and their maid, Jane Twiddum, to help her with the performance. We don't meet the assembled adults but this performance, in three acts, is filled with pathos. It also links very subtly back to that letter written all those weeks ago by the old sailor. 

Betsy Bird (Goodreads): this is the kind of book that’s going to appeal to kids young and old. A contemporary classic with ingrained appeal and the occasional jolt of weirdness to keep things interesting.

A quiet, comforting fable of identity and belonging. Kirkus

Blurb by Kate DiCamillo: Shut up in a trunk by a taciturn old sea captain with a secret, five friends—a king, a wolf, a girl, a boy, and an owl—bicker, boast, and comfort one another in the dark. Individually, they dream of song and light, freedom and flight, purpose and glory, but they all agree they are part of a larger story, bound each to each by chance, bonded by the heart’s mysteries. When at last their shared fate arrives, landing them on a mantel in a blue room in the home of two little girls, the truth is more astonishing than any of them could have imagined.

Betsy Bird mentions the three songs in this book, and I felt exactly the same way - I do hope someone can set these to music. 

Last week I saw Walker Books Australia had a little 'competition' give away advance copies of The Puppets of Spelborst - you know the kind of thing - first 'x' number of people to respond to this email will be sent an advance copy of Kate DiCamillo's new book. I had very little hope of winning because it was already late in the morning and surely tons of people had seen the email but NO, I was lucky, and I won this book. I picked up the parcel today at 12 noon and I read the whole book in one quick sitting as soon as I arrived home. 

I am calling this book a novella partly because it only has around 150 pages but also because, even though this looks like a slim and therefore junior book, it is not - I would put this book into the hands of readers aged 10+ who will appreciate the way Kate DiCamillo constructs her story and the way she gives each of her puppet and human characters very distinct personalities. There is some violence in this story but also tiny touches of humor and wonderful moments where we witness the fulfilment of dreams.

This book will be released in mid-October here in Australia, so I suggest you pop it onto your shopping list now or place an advance order with your favourite independent bookstore. I guess this will be the first book in a series because the publisher webpage says this is Book One in the Norendy Tale series. And I found more detail on Kate DiCamillo's web page: A beloved author of modern classics draws on her most moving themes with humor, heart, and wisdom in the first of the Norendy Tales, a projected trio of novellas linked by place and mood, each illustrated in black and white by a different virtuoso illustrator.

Here is a PBS interview with Kate DiCamillo. And even more importantly please take a little time to read this New Yorker profile piece from September this year. 

The reporter says uses these words when talking about The Puppets of Spelhorst: 'Joy and Despair' 'Truth Wonder and Sorrow'.

And here is a quote by Kate from the interview:

"One of the great things about being able to tell stories is that I can find a way to make sense out of what happened to me as a kid. And maybe help another kid feel safe and less alone."

Kate DiCamillo dedicates this book to her friend Ann Patchett.  Read what Ann Patchett says about Kate DiCamillo and her books here. 

My copy of The Puppets of Spelhorst is a paperback ARC but I think the real copy will be a special edition hardcover [9781529512854].  I do like the black and white pencil illustrations by Julie Morstad (I love her work) but it would be even more thrilling to see them in colour. 

This book made me think of these picture books (but they are far simpler stories).

The Hidden House

Ruby and Little Joe

The Barnabus Project

Nothing

I am a huge fan of Kate DiCamillo. I have read and blogged so many of her books and I was utterly thrilled when I heard her speak twice in Sydney, Australia at our Sydney Writers Festival. If I hadn't been so badly hampered by deep shyness, I would have loved to have talked to her - maybe I can do that one day.

Because of Winn Dixie

The Tale of Despereaux

Raymie Nightingale

Beverly, Right Here

Louisiana's Way Home

Great Joy

The Beatryce Prophecy

The Magician's Elephant

Flora and Ulysses

These are some other novellas I have read and enjoyed which would be good to put into the hands of readers who enjoy this story form:

Captain Rosalie

Saving Celeste

A Swallow in Winter