Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Miller's loosely rhyming couplets describe a child's burgeoning friendship with bigfoot in this upbeat picture book focused on tolerance. Enthusiastically awakening, a pink-skinned youth heads to the forest for a day of adventure, described in effusive lines: "I followed the path/ that I loved to explore/ Through the trees on the search/ for new friends and more!" The discovery of an oversize footprint initially worries the protagonist, but when the responsible party reveals himself, it becomes clear that bigfoot might be open to friendship. In sinuous multihued line art, Flook's sunny woodland scenes convey their supernatural star's kindheartedness with a wide grin that sometimes opens in gap-toothed delight. The arrival of dusk cuts the pair's visit short, but not before the good-natured human offers a piece of universal advice: "Always be BRAVE!// The world is a great place where no one should hide,/ being a bit different should fill you with pride." The creators lend a mythical flair to the saying "free to be you and me." Ages 5--12. (Aug.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2--"The day I met BigFoot/ was like any other./ The sun came up and showed/ a world to discover." An unexpected encounter between a child and a big hairy beast turns into an unusual friendship. A child wakes up, ready to greet the day. He walks out into the woods, only to come across the biggest footprint he's ever seen. Soon the owner of the footprint appears: it's the legendary BigFoot. Despite his fear, the boy soon learns that BigFoot is a kind and solitary beast who lives in the woods, mostly afraid to show himself, saying "I'd rather be lonesome than misunderstood." They shake hands, and a friendship is born. Pen-and-ink illustrations deftly capture the woodland scenery and the not-so-scary beast. There is nothing of the sensationalist beast-sighting stories here, just a quiet story of a boy seeing beyond the physical appearance of another creature to the kind heart within. The rhyming text is often awkward: "You are different, BigFoot, and that's a fact./ I will be your friend, and that is just that." The overall message of seeing beyond differences still comes through. VERDICT The good heart at this story's center may not move most readers beyond the clumsy text.--Sue Morgan
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Review by Horn Book Review
A child overcomes fear and befriends BigFoot during a walk in the woods in this picture book about appreciating differences. After the duo meets, the child calls BigFoot a friend and tells him "being a bit different should fill you with pride." The text has an uneven rhyme scheme and is rather didactic, but young readers may be drawn to the detailed illustrations that portray BigFoot as a friendly nature-loving creature who's simply misunderstood. (c) Copyright 2025. 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.
