Title: Stewie The Eagle
Author: Dane Stewart
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1-7960-3774-6
Genre: Illustrated Children’s Book / Educational
Pages: 36
Reviewed by: Beth Adams
Pacific Book Review
Author Dane Stewart has written a book which educates while entertains titled, Stewie The Eagle. In this illustrated book with drawings of eagles and other animals, Dane Stewart uses the galley text format very interestingly. Mixing colors, fonts, point sizes and word placement, bringing a sense of onomatopoeia to the story, but most importantly the author stresses new words to enhance the readers’ vocabulary.
Children love to learn new words, and the story of Stewie is a well-chosen foundation for many new words. Also the strength, power and grace of this bird of prey is a fantastic subliminal image of truly one of the most impressive creatures on Earth. A national symbol for the United States of America, Stewie exemplifies the qualities of pride, intelligence and skill in which children can use as a role model in their own lives.
It is because of the use of words, placed strategically throughout this book in a nontraditional way, which makes this story transgress from a bedtime story to a teaching experience. Dane Stewart has created a book with all of the elements making it an exemplary showcase of this genre. There is one illustration which is repeated twice, which I found to be a bit odd. Stewie has what looks to be a Tarantasourus Rex grabbed in its claws, and is flying with it over a lake. The dinosaur looks to be much larger and heavier than the eagle, which may border on being too large for such a prey. (Although I know eagles can lift more than their own weight in real life, up to 5 or 6 pounds). We can chalk up the details to creative license, yet it did provide for a memorable image. I also enjoyed the illustration of eagles playing together in the air, flipping over and demonstrating their acrobatic skills.
I recommend Stewie The Eagle for readers of the lower single-digit years, and as a book which can spark further discussions between the child and the parent describing the nuances of the many words presented, allowing for the vernacular of the child to increase at a respectable level by simply reading this book.
