How to Find Gold
Reviews
Schwarz throws together a wild imagination, travel, and an unlikely pair of companions to create a fabulously enjoyable and visually rich picture book that will have young readers digging up their backyards and marking the perfect spots...Young treasure seekers will want to revisit this tale again and again, and when they do, they will be rewarded by details they missed on earlier readings. As much of a treasure as the gold they find.
Schwarz (There Are No Cats in This Book) uses an exuberant mix of styles—sketched pencil backgrounds, sweeping watercolor landscapes, and childlike crayon drawings—to create the fertile world of Anna’s imaginings (which Crocodile may or may not be part of). Schwarz is keenly aware of the joy in planning and plotting an adventure, and the banter between her leads offers laughs throughout.
this inspiring book has a terrific message for children: embrace the dangerous and difficult with a good friend by your side […] Quirky and playful, this is the first title in a series following this very endearing duo.
Courageous, joyous and imaginative, Anna is a hero to enliven us all. This funny manifesto for adventuring with friends, for embracing challenges, for not giving up on looking for gold, whatever form it takes for you is outstanding.
Anna is a spontaneous and strong girl character while Crocodile provides a steadying hand (or should it be claw?) in a friendship between child and animal which is portrayed as perfectly natural. In this way it’s reminiscent of Charlotte Zolotow and Maurice Sendak’s Mr Rabbit and the Lovely Present but here the voyage of discovery is much more ‘dangerous and difficult’!
The richness of childhood imagination underpins this funny adventure in which a little girl, Anna, and her crocodile companion decide to search for gold - a quest that Crocodile warns could be dangerous and difficult. ‘Good!’ says Anna. ‘Let’s go!’ Undeterred by any problems, they draw a treasure map and dive into the darkest oceans to discover their treasure. But what to do with it then? It’s the deadpan illogicality of their conversation that gives this book its authentic childlike humour, which, combined with the rich, dreamlike illustrations, will strike a chord with feisty little girls in particular, celebrating bravery and determination. Schwarz (There Are Cats In This Book) has another winner on her hands and, I hope, another outing for Anna and Crocodile on the drawing board.
This very special picture book is a work of wonder. Immediately immersive […] However unusual it is for a picture book to play out entirely in dialogue, the conversational narrative is immediately endearing and pitched perfectly. It’s also a completely mesmerising visual journey from muted backgrounds and standout characters to the awesome climactic spreads in all their vivid brilliance. The story is so sweet, unique and exciting, paired with such clever and stunning illustration this book deserves to be a future picture book classic. Schwarz has touched upon pure picture book genius.
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