We Became Jaguars

Description

Nana in the City meets Grandpa Green in this journey into the wilderness and through the imagination. Revel in the breathtaking fantasticality of this transformative new book from the daring mind of bestselling author Dave Eggers. When Grandma comes to visit and a young boy's parents leave, the rules of the house-and the world-change: grandson and grandmother transform into jaguars together! Through Eggers's signature knack for the surreal, readers follow their journey into the lush, undiscovered world of nature, experience true freedom, and lose themselves in the exhilarating power of pretending. After a day of playing, running, and climbing through sumptuous landscapes, the ending will leave you wondering what's real and what's make-believe. Woodrow White's gorgeous natural world is sure to inspire entire new realms in the imagination! And the depiction of the family bond-always unique-will enchant anyone looking for something truly special to give to their loved one. Children, parents, and grandparents alike will fall prey to this vivid celebration of imagination and the power of love to leave you forever altered. * A CHILDREN'S CLASSIC FROM DAVE EGGERS: This unusual story about a kid and his grandmother's adventure exemplifies what people love about Dave Eggers's adult books, translated into a story just right for a kid. * A DIFFERENT GRANDPARENT STORY: Tired of the same old sweet grandparent stories? Maybe you're like so many families, eager to see a new grandparent depicted: one as interesting, unique, and exciting as you, or your own! * IMAGINATION READ: This story provides a perfect opportunity to talk to kids about the power of imagination and imaginative play, fiction, and storytelling‐all of which are major themes in education and important for every child's social emotional development. * ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY: The empathy extended to another creature's way of being aligns nicely with conversations about living step-by-step, hand in hand with the natural world around us. * PERFECT FOR ART LOVERS: Each page is sure to entice readers young and old with lush natural settings, unique perspectives, and electrifying illustrations of animals and landscapes. Breathtaking and bold, this book stands out for its illustrations alone and is sure to give readers beautiful dreams. Perfect for: * Readers who like a hint of magic and strangeness in their storytelling * Kids who love nature, big cats, jungles, and/or forests! * Grandparents * Environmentally conscious families * Teachers and librarians

Dave Eggers is the author of many books, including Tomorrow Most Likely and Captain and the Glory. He is the cofounder of Voice of Witness, 826 National, and ScholarMatch, which connects donors and under-resourced students to make college possible. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Woodrow White is a painter based in Los Angeles, CA. He utilizes monsters, movies, and the practice of make-believe in his work to explore the layers of the human psyche.

"Eggers' straightforward text is enlivened by simile: a lake looks like silver and tastes like moonlight and is further enhanced by White's lushly colorful illustrations. But do the two humans really become jaguars? Careful readers will find visual clues but no matter; what's really important is the book's lively celebration of imagination."-Booklist "The vivid concept that a grandmother's visit delivers danger and freedom instead of cozy reassurance is a winner, and Eggers (Most of the Better Natural Things in the World) develops it with easy humor and jaguar-speed pacing."-Publishers Weekly, starred review "Transfixing painterly illustrations offer nocturnal purples and blues along with bioluminescent pinks and greens, creating a woozy, otherworldly habitat. . . . Young people will find humor in the child's narration . . . The phrase "we jaguared on" repeats again and again as they cross varying landscapes, and it perfectly captures the fluidity of jaguar movement in its languid articulation. Children will relish this book's blurred ambiguities; what's real and what's imagined are as hard to distinguish as a jaguar in the shadows. A fresh inversion of expectations told in vivid art and idiom."-Kirkus Reviews, starred review "Clever."-The Wall Street Journal "[We Became Jaguars is] a wondrous, breathtakingly painted night of bonding and adventure."-The New York Times "[The] playfulness isn't restricted to language. White's illustrations are spirited and clever . . . sumptuously depicted. . . . White's color palette is beautiful. . . . [S]o fantastic it feels real, or so real that it feels fantastic? A must-have tale about the power of imagination."-School Library Journal, starred review "Eggers spins phrases with an evocative beauty. . . . In his picture-book debut, painter White animates the pair's adventure in expansive, richly colored spreads that depict the murky, purple-hued shadows of the night, effectively establishing the book's mysterious, majestic tone. . . . [This] peculiar journey is worth taking."-The Horn Book Magazine "[T]hrilling. . . [Ex]pressive full of emotional resonance and adventure, [We Became Jaguars] captures the feeling of complete immersion in a game of make-believe. And, if you're a grandparent, it may give you some ideas."-The Wall Street Journal