Book for kids educates, entertains, and energizes
Elf’s Family Tree
by Ron Smith, with illustrations by Ruth Campbell
Oakville: Rock’s Mills Press, 2023
$14.95 / 9781772442755
Reviewed by Troy Wilson
*
In the highly acclaimed 2007 picture book Elf the Eagle, a young eaglet named Elf marvelled at the vastness of the tree where he lived. And in this long-awaited sequel, Elf’s Family Tree, Elf marvels at the vastness of his family tree, with its roots in the soil of prehistory and its top stretching up into space. In the first book, Elf learned to fly. In this follow-up, he refines his flying abilities, and then embarks upon a more amazing flight than he ever thought possible.
Aside from the imaginary lambs that little Elf counted to get to sleep and the tasty fish that his parents brought him to eat, the only animals he encountered in the first instalment were his mother, father, and sister. With this second book, the scope and scale expand immediately. He observes fellow fliers such as crows, woodpeckers, bees, and hummingbirds, as well as various non-flying animals that catch his eye. In addition to the creatures in his vicinity, he learns about far-flung species of eagles and about the far-flung lives of his great, great grandparents. But his insatiable curiosity about his world and heritage demands that he reach much farther back in the time of than the era of his great, great grandparents. And so, in his dreams, he bravely flies into a spirit bird’s vast, black pupil, and sets off on a two-hundred-million-year journey to the teeming World of Before. When Elf returns to the World of Now, he has a greater sense of belonging, connection, and perspective–and so do we.
As with the first book, Vancouver Island author Ron Smith and Vancouver illustrator Ruth Campbell take us on this journey firsthand. We wing our way through time from Elf’s perspective, experiencing it via his senses and processing it via his thoughts and feelings. Elf’s amazement is our amazement. Elf’s surprise is our surprise. Elf’s dream state is our dream state.
And not only that, but these two creators’ love of the subject matter is our love of the subject matter. These two creators’ knowledge of the subject matter is our knowledge of the subject matter. Elf is in good hands (or wings) with the spirit bird, and we are in good hands with Smith and Campbell. The majesty and wonder and facts are all clearly yet sumptuously laid out (along with fun touches of humour, like Elf in a space helmet and bees writing “Bee Dance! Bring your Honey!” on a heart-shaped honeycomb sign).
And, of course, no fulsome account of the majesty and wonder and facts could omit the indelible impact eagles have had on human culture. So yes, we humans do make an appearance in the last few pages, after the vast pre-human swath of history has been accounted for. The concluding totem-as-tree is beautiful, and the hints of white on Elf’s older, wiser head are beautiful, too.
Admittedly, a few of the larger blocks of text are not beautiful, at least not at first glance. Fair or unfair, there is a fine line in picture books between generously packed prose and unsightly walls of words. But rest assured, even the biggest, blockiest bunches contain plenty of beautiful content. So just take a deep breath and fly straight into them like Elf flies into the spirit bird’s vast pupil. Both you and young readers will be richly rewarded for doing so.
This is one of those sequels that successfully and organically (and, for that matter, exponentially) expands upon the first. And this is one of those books that will simultaneously educate, entertain, and energize. It will energize young readers to learn more about the dinosaur-to-bird connection. And the human-to-eagle connection. The eagle-to-totem connection too.
Curiosity crackles through every page, and those sparks won’t subside when the book is closed. The lively words and illustrations give the beginnings of a flight path, not the end. Fly with Elf on this journey of discovery–and then, propelled by the artistry of Smith and Campbell, fly beyond.
*
Troy Wilson is the author of nine picture books and 18 stories for kids’ magazines.
*
The British Columbia Review
Interim Editors, 2023-24: Trevor Marc Hughes (non-fiction), Brett Josef Grubisic (fiction)
Publisher: Richard Mackie
Formerly The Ormsby Review, The British Columbia Review is an on-line book review and journal service for BC writers and readers. The Advisory Board now consists of Jean Barman, Wade Davis, Robin Fisher, Barry Gough, Hugh Johnston, Kathy Mezei, Patricia Roy, Maria Tippett, and Graeme Wynn. Provincial Government Patron (since September 2018): Creative BC. Honorary Patron: Yosef Wosk. Scholarly Patron: SFU Graduate Liberal Studies. The British Columbia Review was founded in 2016 by Richard Mackie and Alan Twigg.
“Only connect.” – E.M. Forster