The Hunter by Paul Geraghty
| The Hunter by Paul Geraghty | |
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| Category: Confident Readers | |
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Reviewer: Jo Heffer
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| Summary: A beautifully poignant and thought provoking book set in Africa. Seen through the eyes of a small girl, it addresses the issues of hunting and the impact that it has on a small elephant that she comes across that has recently had its mother taken away. As she attempts to lead the baby to safety, she ponders on the cruelty of the hunters and how it must feel to be one who is hunted. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: August 2011 |
| Publisher: Andersen Press | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1849393768 | |
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At the start of 'The Hunter', Jamina and her grandfather are walking in the bush collecting honey. Jamina wants to see elephants but her grandfather tells her it is unlikely because not many have been seen since the hunters came. Initially, she is quite enthralled by the idea of hunters and proclaims that she wants to be one. She starts to play at hunting but this game ends in her becoming lost. She is drawn towards a sad and desperate cry and eventually comes across a small baby elephant trying to wake his dead mother. She leads the baby away and hopes to head towards home but all around she senses danger and is aware that the poachers are never that far away. She feels hunted herself and through this journey she comes to realise that hunting is bad and that she no longer wishes to become a hunter.
The Hunter is an extremely mature picture book that is more suitable for older children rather than younger ones. As I was reading it with my daughters I was concerned that they might be upset by some of the images and references but everything is treated very sensitively. It is a thought provoking story and prompted my eight year old daughter to really consider the issues around hunting and to reach her own opinions that she readily shared with me.
The story is very moving and is made more so by the beautifully evocative illustrations that accompany it. It would be impossible to do them justice by attempting to describe them but imagine beautiful soft colours, vast panoramas, silhouettes against the setting sun and a huge array of African wildlife. Then imagine a beautiful little girl leading a baby elephant across this amazing backdrop and you might begin to get a sense of these awesome illustrations from Paul Geraghty.
Although younger children would probably love the pictures and the characters, I think that 'The Hunter' is a picture book that is best saved for older children who are much more likely to appreciate the issue that the story is addressing and who would be able to talk about how it makes them feel. Also, the text is very accessible for newly confident readers who would be able to read the story by themselves.
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
Another of Paul Geraghty's books is Help Me! which is also set in Africa and portrays some interesting animal behaviour around a water hole.
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You can read more book reviews or buy The Hunter by Paul Geraghty at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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