Review of Rudi Caribou

[Aleesha Jarral]

Children will adore this. I like how interesting, instructive, and well-presented the pictures are. In a similar vein, I like learning about the traits of caribou and telling my children about them. However, because it appears that you have appreciated this book, we will.

[Sarah Manley]

I am excited to share this book with my little one, especially after reading your review. I love realistic illustrations and look forward to an education on an animal I know very little about.

[N parvin]

I love how transparent your review is. I felt so connected to your words as you put it so simply yet in a intriguing way. "Rudi: A Reindeer Story" is a delightful kids' book, combining entertainment with education. The personalized tale of Rudi teaches courage, perseverance, and caribou life. I'm getting excited to see the illustrated pictures because of the way you praise this aspect very much throughout your review. Thanks for your honest and transparent review. I enjoyed reading it.

[MsH2k]

This is a great book for kids of all ages. Both the illustrations and narrative were engaging. I started to sample it, and soon I was reading the credits at the end! Thank you for your introduction to this informative read. Congrats on BOTD.

[rusyalana]

The pictures in the book are great and I like that it is educational telling us the information about caribou. But I also believe that the book has some hidden meaning as well. All those challenges of growing up and travelling across tundra, rivers and mountain ranges experienced by Rudi Caribou can be compared to our (human) life too. Congratulations on becoming BOTD!

[MetellaStella]

Some fact-checking on the book:

Caribou are not the only animals that see in ultraviolet, far from it. Mice and ferrets are mammals that can. Also snakes, lizards, and frogs can all do this, and taken all together each of those is still a non-exhaustive list.

The book describes bears as able to run "very fast" but they can't run as fast as caribou, or practically any other similar hooved species, and are one of the slowest large predators on the planet that I know of. It also can't maintain speed like ungulates or wolves can. So if the baby were comparing the bear to his mom or other caribou, they'd be slow. If the author is speaking and not the protagonist, and is comparing to humans, well, nearly ALL animals are fast compared to awkward bipedal humans, lol.

Grizzly bears in fact eat 90% of their diet as plants, most of the rest as easy to catch fish, carrion that they can bully other smaller predators off of via their size, and, as far as I'm aware, especially per hibernation, are not constantly stalking and migrating with large animal herds the way wolves are. (Even wolves prefer blueberries in the summertime, as they don't take a huge energy commitment and high failure rate to secure).

In the review, you say "over 1000 miles" when the units given were in kilometers, not miles. It was around 800 miles as I recall.

Are the pictures in this book "illustrations" or are they Photoshop? They look like photoshop. Literally, they have that visual quality that photoshop does when you combine two different photos together without much lighting work or blending. The layout of them is clunky and jarring. I'm not at all convinced these are illustrations so much as pictures someone sent through the 'make it look somewhat like a painting' filter.

I guess those are probably legally allowed to be called illustrations? Learn something new every day I guess.

Some text transitions were non-existent or jarring too. On the page about the northern lights they completely randomly mentioned how caribou could run fast.

I'm glad if kids are learning from this book, and if they enjoy it, great. But an artistic work it is not. The sentences are boring and lack heart and creativity, as if they're being read off a teleprompter. Just a truncated textbook with a few words and pronouns changed, essentially.

Oh, and to top it all off, they literally named the reindeer a nickname of Rudolph. Could not get any more unoriginal, non-creative, and cliche than that.

[Nancy004]

Rudi Caribou, through stunning illustrations and a captivating narrative, introduces children to the fascinating world of caribou migration, offering a delightful blend of education and enchantment.

[Adah Bernard]

D. Burton Smith's "Rudi Caribou" is an enlightening and engaging children's book that delves into the life of a young caribou. Smith masterfully blends education with entertainment, crafting a narrative that is both informative and captivating. The book is enriched by its vibrant illustrations, which bring the story to life and immerse young readers in the caribou's world.

Through the eyes of Rudi, a calf caribou, readers embark on a journey of discovery, learning about the challenges and triumphs of caribou life. Smith's engaging storytelling seamlessly weaves in fascinating facts about caribou behavior, migration patterns, and predators, providing children with a comprehensive understanding of these remarkable creatures. The book's meticulously crafted illustrations, which seamlessly blend realism with a touch of whimsy, further enhance the reading experience, captivating young minds and transporting them to the caribou's wild and captivating habitat.

"Rudi Caribou" stands out as an exceptional children's book, seamlessly balancing education and entertainment. Smith's engaging narrative, coupled with the book's captivating illustrations, creates a truly immersive reading experience that is both informative and enjoyable. The book is highly recommended for young readers, offering them a captivating introduction to the fascinating world of caribou.

[nasser23]

A good educational book for children. I had the experience of reading that book even though I do not have children, but I felt that I wish I had children in order to read to them that book, whose role is to teach children the scenarios that he or she will encounter in their lives. Thank you to the writer and thank you to this site for reading.

[Kshitija Sonawane]

Wild is often considered merciful, just and healthy but what we don't realize is that it is not. Only the strongest survive in the wild. Congratulations to the author for BOTD and best wishes for your future projects.

[Anaïs Quesson]

Kids who love animals will surely enjoy this book. I agree with you, the illustrations are mesmerizing. Thank you for this great review!

[Somtochukwu O Ezeme]

The book sounds interesting. I want to read it and learn about the animals that it describes.

[_Rhea Jacob]

It looks like an interesting book to give to my nephew, I'm sure he will love reading about the caribou. I also got enjoyed the pictures in the book.

[Okoth Omondi]

This children's book is amazing, well crafted with real life illustrations. I believe any kid would like this book. Fom my point of view, it deserved to be the book of the day.
Congrats BOTD.

[L Besser]

Rudi Caribou may be the next gift for the newest members of the family. I like that there is an educational component, artistic illustrations and a storyline that will keep the interests of the child throughout the book.

It appears the reader will be entertained as well as the child as Rudi navigates through life. I appreciate learning about caribou and seeing real life illustrations while reading and am looking forward to do so.