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Illustrated by
Kate Hindley.
Gertie, "the littlest yak of them all," wishes she were bigger. She tries eating veggies; she tries exercise; she tries reading "to make her thoughts grow." Nothing works. But when another yak needs rescuing from a precariously narrow ledge, well, you can guess whose qualities come in handy. (Being the "grippiest" doesn't hurt, either.) This iteration of the difference-is-good plot is unusual because the other yaks are supportive from the start, and Fraser elevates the familiar story line with a well-paced rhyming text that invites reading aloud: "Look up! / A yak's STUCK! / On the craggy cliff's edge! / At the end of the narrowest, / rockiest ledge!" Hindley's digitally colored pen-and-ink illustrations, in a limited palette and featuring cool blue and green wintry backgrounds, are populated with endearing yaks, whose boldly patterned hats and scarves match the story's cozy feel.
Reviewer: Shoshana Flax
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2021