Johnny's Pheasant
by Cheryl Minnema (Author) Julie Flett (Illustrator)
An encounter with a pheasant (which may or may not be sleeping) takes a surprising turn in this sweetly serious and funny story of a Native American boy and his grandma
"Pull over, Grandma! Hurry!" Johnny says. Grandma does, and Johnny runs to show her what he spotted near the ditch: a sleeping pheasant. What Grandma sees is a small feathery hump. When Johnny wants to take it home, Grandma tries to tell him that the pheasant might have been hit by a car. But maybe she could use the feathers for her craftwork? So home with Grandma and Johnny the pheasant goes . . .
It's hard to say who is most surprised by what happens next--Grandma, Johnny, or the pheasant. But no one will be more delighted than the reader at this lesson about patience and kindness and respect for nature, imparted by Grandma's gentle humor, Johnny's happy hooting, and all the quiet wisdom found in Cheryl Minnema's stories of Native life and Julie Flett's remarkably evocative and beautiful illustrations.
Locate at a Library Near You WorldCat is the world's largest library catalog, helping you find library materials online.
Find books about:
Publishers Weekly
Johnny and his grandmother are on their way back from the market when he spots "a small feathery hump" by the side of the road. It's a pheasant, and Johnny insists that it is just sleeping, while Grandma suspects a more permanent state of rest. Minnema (Hungry Johnny), a member of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, gives the boy a sweetly inquisitive, playful disposition and an authentic voice, as when he exuberantly "hoot, hoot"s, anticipating the pheasant's waking. Grandma lovingly humors her grandchild, stopping short of saying the pheasant is dead, and she mentions that the bird's feathers would be perfect for her craft work. After the pair brings the pheasant home, surprising results will upend some readers' expectations. The interplay between the two Native characters' viewpoints lends subtle humor, satisfying both idealistic and pragmatic outlooks, and the ending deepens the tender tone. Flett, who is Cree-Métis, creates muted meadow scenes that encourage contemplation, and thoughtful details (Grandma's floral scarf, a delicate pheasant feather) immerse the reader further in this delightful celebration of intergenerational love. Ages 3-8. (Nov.)
Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 1—Young Johnny spots a pheasant by the side of the road, as he and his grandmother return from the grocery store. They pull over to check on it. Grandma says the pheasant is dead, but Johnny believes it is sleeping. They agree to bring the bird home for separate reasons: Johnny plans to care for it and keep as a pet, and Grandma wants to use its feathers to make crafts. The pheasant has plans of its own, giving Johnny and Grandma a pleasant surprise. Charming folk-art color illustrations are on one page with text on the opposite page. The illustrations cover two pages when Grandma and Johnny first approach the pheasant, with the text in the sky. The narrative touches on compassion and death as a daily part of life. VERDICT Sweet and amusing, this modern Native intergenerational story is a good general purchase.—Tamara Saarinen, Pierce County Library, WA
Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Cheryl Minnema (Waabaanakwadookwe) is a member of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. She was born in Minneapolis and raised on the Mille Lacs Reservation. Along with writing children's literature and poetry, she creates Ojibwe floral beadwork and nature photography. She is author of Hungry Johnny, which was a 2015 Native America Calling book club selection.
Julie Flett is a Cree-Métis author, illustrator, and artist who lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. She has received many awards, including the 2017 Governor General's Award for Children's Literature, the 2016 American Indian Library Association Award for Best Picture Book, and Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Awards. Her Wild Berries, one of Kirkus's Best Children's Books of 2013, was a title selection for Canada's First Nation Communities Read.
JUV013030 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Multigenerational
JUV011040 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Native American
Indians of North America
Minnesota
Ojibwa Indians
Pheasants
