The Fog is a picture book written by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Kenard Pak. It is currently scheduled for release on May 16 2017. Warble is a small yellow warbler who lives on the beautiful island of Icyland, where he pursues his hobby of human watching. But on a warm day, a deep fog rolls in and obscures his view. The rest of the birds don't seem to notice the fog or the other changes Warble observes on the island. The more the fog is ignored, the more it spreads. When a Red-hooded Spectacled Female appears, Warble discovers that he's not the only one who notices the fog. Will they be able to find others who can see it too? And is the fog here to stay?
The Fog is a cute picturebook with absolutely beautiful illustrations. I adored the colors and the water color styling. It added a great deal to the story. Warble is a bird dedicated to people watching, and so is among the first to notice the fog, and one of the few to care about it happening. His connection to the red-hooded, bird watching girl starts their attempts to contact people beyond their corner of the world to see how far the fog has spread. I like that they find a variety of creative ways to connect with others and discuss the problem. I did not like that all that was covered was the awareness and communication about the problem- even if it is the first and a very necessary step. I would have liked to see some action taken, some decision reached about how to solve the issue- rather than it just lessening because of raised awareness. I am not sure that the target audience will fully get the point, and that more needs to be done, without a continued discussion.
The Fog is a lovely picturebook with an important message about being aware of environmental issues, and connecting with others. I think it missed the mark by skipping some level of action- but it is a good place to start the discussion with young readers.
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