Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Hamish the bear and Noreen the goose live an idyllic life on a pretty hillside, but the trains that speed by heading to the city intrigue Hamish, and with Noreen's blessing, he follows the tracks until the green countryside gives way to streets populated entirely by humans. A chance encounter and act of kindness leads to a dream job as a crane operator (Hamish's species isn't an issue), and he discovers just how big the world is beyond his cottage: "From the top of the crane, Hamish could see the entire city and the green and blue beyond its edge. He could even see the curve of the earth." But what starts as a classic adventure becomes something wonderfully different: instead of being confronted with an exclusionary choice, Hamish realizes he can keep a job he loves without sacrificing Noreen's friendship--a bond re-cemented by a joint train excursion to the seashore. With loose, softly colored pencil and ink renderings that carry out an offbeat, reflective mood, Hirst (Alphonse, That Is Not OK to Do!) opens up the possibility that life, like the world Hamish sees from the crane, is big enough to accommodate all kinds of choices. Ages 3--7. (Sept.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1--Although Hamish the bear enjoys an idyllic life with his best friend, Noreen the goose, the daily passenger train entices him to travel beyond their country home. Noreen, a patient and supportive friend, encourages Hamish to act on his unrequited dream. Unprepared for the journey, Hamish makes a lucky acquaintance who gives him an opportunity to experience life in the city. Despite these thrills, he misses Noreen. A short train ride allows for a quick reunion that inspires Hamish to further adventure, this time with his friend by his side. A sweet and charming story, this title excels in showing how the best of friends allow each other the space to pursue their own happiness. While initially Hamish and Noreen have different ideas about exploring, neither pushes the other to change. During his city sojourn Hamish often thinks of Noreen, a reminder that no matter the distance between them, she is his true home. VERDICT For larger picture book collections, the lesson that adventures are always richer when friends are along for the ride never grows old.--Sophie Kenney, Aurora P.L., IL
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Review by Horn Book Review
In this tale of home versus away, Hamish, a long-nosed bear, hankers to take the train to the city. Goose Noreen, a determined homebody, suggests that Hamish go on his own. Out in the big world, Hamish makes a new friend and lands himself a fulfilling job, but he misses Noreen. Together they figure out how they can have it all. The endpapers encapsulate the theme: on the opening ones we see Hamish and Noreen enjoying all the pleasures of a stay-at-home life in the country. Together they make music, tell stories, play cricket, watch birds, garden, do home repairs, and contemplate snowflakes. On the closing endpapers we see them visiting art galleries, eating at sidewalk cafes, sightseeing, shopping in street markets, camping, and building sand castles. Part of the appeal of the world that Hirst has created lies in its casual diversity. In her soft pencil and ink drawings (whose sweet energy and abundant personality recall the work of Quentin Blake), humans have pointy noses and blobby noses; they are beige and brown. Some mothers wear T-shirts, and some wear hijabs and abayas. Some construction workers are named Christov, and some are named Lisa. All this adds up to a celebration of life's abundant possibilities. Sarah Ellis September/October 2020 p.63(c) Copyright 2020. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Absence makes the heart grow fonder in this affectionate story of two best friends. Hamish, an affable brown bear, and his friend Noreen, a white goose, live together in a cozy country cottage and love to watch the trains go by. Eager to ride a train and see the city, Hamish sets out while Noreen is content to stay home. When Hamish meets Christov, a human construction worker too sick to work the crane, Hamish enthusiastically offers to do so. He also learns to navigate the city and makes friends, but all the while he misses Noreen. When Christov tells Hamish, "I miss somebody, too…but he's thousands of miles away," Hamish returns to his friend, though he tells Noreen that he will continue to work in the city during the week. Hamish, who takes the furry, ursine version of a hero's journey, is an endearing character; he has a friendly, curious nature, and his reunion with Noreen is a triumphant, warmhearted one. The illustrations effectively juxtapose Hamish's pastoral cottage life, warm greens taking center stage, with the busy, bustling city in which the greens make way for a darker blue-gray and brick reds. Most of the townspeople present white, but Christov and a few others are slightly darker-skinned. The circumstances that separate Christov from his loved one go unexplored but open up possibilities for conversation. This there-and-back-again tale is surely worth the ride. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
