Title: Big Feet, The Story
Author: Mike Rubel
Illustrator: Vinh Ha
Publisher: Author’s Tranquility Press
ISBN: 978-1-959579-67-0
Pages: 42
Genre: Educational / Illustrated Children’s Book
Reviewed by: Beth Adams
Hollywood Book Reviews
Specular! Author Mike Rubel along with the amazing artistry of Vinh Ha have created an story about an African giraffe, named Guruto, which means early sun, because he was born just before daybreak. Guruto had very large feet which would cause the ground to rumble as he galloped, which in turn became a threat to the herd because predators could hear the sound from a far distance away. Sadly, Guruto was banished from the herd, where he was left out on his own to survive in the wild plains outside Pretoria, South Africa.
It is there Guruto meets a young kingfisher bird who forms a bond of friendship – as well as a synergistic partnership for mutual survival. Guruto would dig up food for the bird with his big feet by the water’s edge, and the bird, in turn, would sit on the head and back of Guruto, fly reconnaissance around the area, and warn him of impending danger from predators. This relationship worked well for both of them as they grew, matured, and honed their senses of survival, enabling them to communicate in an instinctual animal way together.
The story’s narrative tells of a sequence of events leading up to a climax of Guruto saving the life of another giraffe from being attacked by a clan of hyaenas. The giraffe being attacked coincidentally turned out to be Guruto’s mother. The other giraffes, witnessing how brave and strong Guruto performed, then welcomed Guruto back into the herd to eventually become their leader. This story becomes a wonderful fable to all readers, children and adults alike.
Two of the best qualities of Big Feet, The Story became clearly evident when paging this book. First, the well-written narrative of the author describes the events with the skill and thoughtfulness of an epic storyteller, with just the right amount of detail. Moreso, the author does not jump into what many children’s book do, which is personifying the characters with human dialogue, yet rather describes the thoughts and emotions in a third-person narrative. Secondly, simply stated the artwork is superb.
The lighting on the animals, along with their rather difficult body proportions are drawn masterfully, enabling many pauses when paging the book – just to admire the pictures. mThe book ends with facts about giraffes, kingfisher birds, and the location of the plains in South Africa. Yes, education and entertaining goals are achieved making Big Feet, The Story truly a “best-in-class” book and an award-winning publication. This is a must-read book for all ages, and one to garnish the bookshelves of all family libraries.