Books For Gay and Lesbian Youth
Children's Books By Title (with covers)
Children's Books By Title (text only)
Jack and Jim
Kitty Crowther
Longing for adventure, Jack the blackbird decides
one day to venture out from his forest home to seek the excitement
of the sea. There he encounters a dashing seagull named Jim, who
welcomes Jack into his life and shows him the wonders of his
seaside village. Unfortunately, the other (white) gulls aren't so
hospitable. "Who's that funny bird," old Captain Seagull
asks. In spite of Jim's efforts to defend his friend, the
villagers can't seem to get beyond Jack's differences. Until, that
is, they learn that he has a skill none of them do. Jack's ability
to read funny stories from an old washed-up box of books wins the
friendship of the crusty gulls, and interspecies harmony abounds
at last.
Though the story has an innocent sweetness to it
and the plot line is pleasantly meandering, the denouement seems
forced as lessons about the importance of tolerance and the value
of literacy are blurred. No question, the book's shining glory is
in its illustrations. Kitty Crowther's ink and watercolor pictures
are quirky and appealing, with the seagulls dressed in jaunty
stripes and Jack the blackbird in a handsome red shirt. The
seagulls in the village have a mean, quarrelsome look about them,
while Jack's and Jim's open expressions reflect their unbiased
hearts.
Published by Hyperion.
