The Red Scarf - Hardcover

ANNE VILLENEUVE’s art has appeared in magazines, ads, and so many children’s books that she’s lost count. Her illustrations for children’s books have won her many honors, including the Governor General’s Literary Award – Children’s Illustration and the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award for L’echarpe rouge (The Red Scarf), which she both wrote and illustrated. According to Anne, happiness can be found at the end of a dock. She loves Romeo and Juliette, her cats. They like her too, as long as she gives them food. Anne Villeneuve lives in Quebec.

PreSchool-Grade 1—In this nearly wordless book, Turpin, a white mole, serves as taxi driver to a mysterious caped man who leaves behind a scarlet, fringed scarf. Determined to return the property, kind Turpin follows a trail leading to a circus, where he gradually encounters a roller-skating polar bear, a turbaned monkey, and a ravenous lion before he accidentally becomes part of a magician's (his fare) act. Excitement seems to end with the mole keeping the red scarf as a gift—but as he exits, a monkey follows in the distance with the cap Turpin left behind. Villeneuve's muted crayon palette gracefully swirls and smears scenes from city to center ring. The cartoons keep the action at forefront, with minimal backgrounds and energetic compositions. This gentle comedy with familiar adventures at the big top will please young audiences.—Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA
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