Emile and the Field

February 1, 2022
The story of a young Black boy who "fell in love with a field." The book opens with a peaceful scene of Emile sitting in a field overrun with wildflowers of various colors. This is his favorite haunt, where he and his little black dog spend countless hours undisturbed, daydreaming and communing with blossoms and insects. Emile--who often whispers lovingly to the field and regards it as a sentient companion--reflects on all the things the field will never get to experience. Although the field knows the four seasons and "how many stars / there were / and just how far," it will never get to see the sea and skyscrapers. When winter comes and snow covers the field, Emile worries, wondering where the field goes when it disappears. And when some noisy children invade the field to sled and build snowpals, Emile hates that he has to share his beloved sanctuary, until his dad teaches him that love is not about possession but appreciation. Although some readers may pause at the unconventional punctuation, Young's gentle, sparely worded narrative endearingly captures the animistic, magical thinking of children and the joy of tranquil childhood hours spent in nature. The impressionistic, atmospheric artwork--rendered in watercolor and ink--underscores the dreamy, spontaneous nature of Emile's outdoor adventures and features open compositions that create a sense of expansiveness. All characters present Black except one White background character. A charming exploration of children's special relationship with nature. (Picture book. 5-8)

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February 14, 2022
A child forms an intimate connection to a field throughout the changing seasons in this distinctive dual children’s debut from poet Young and artist Ebinama. The story opens amid views of a densely flower-filled field in spring, brown-skinned Emile at its center. Light-infused landscapes proceed to show Emile and his black dog wandering the field, following a bee (“The bumblebees would sing/ to him, never sting”), and then—as time passes—romping among rust-colored autumn leaves and orange grasses. When winter brings snow, Emile despairs of sledders “and other, loud kids/ who rode the face/ of the field without/ Emile’s say-so,” but the experience provides an opportunity for reflection: “if we share.../ and learn to take care,/ it means the field/ will be here/ forever.” Young’s distinguished poetic lines and Ebinama’s gauzy watercolor and ink paintings offer a gentle vision of nature as meaningfully accessible and ample. Ages 4–8.

April 29, 2022

K-Gr 3-Brown-skinned, short-haired Emile and his little black dog glory play in a wide field full of flowers and bees. Emile inspects a grasshopper among some daffodils, follows a bee, and hugs a maple tree beginning to drop its multicolored leaves-but he isn't so sure about winter, when the field is covered in snow and other children come to sled and play. His father explains that "if we share...and learn to take care..." the field will remain for all to enjoy. Emile, in a red winter coat, then makes a snow angel, recalling Peter in Ezra Jack Keats's The Snowy Day. Ebinama's lovely, delicate watercolor-and-ink illustrations show the field in different seasons and times of day, and a spectacular night sky with fireflies, moon, and stars, making full use of the spectrum a landscape provides. There is a lyricism to the text, though it doesn't adhere to a rhyme scheme; together, story and pictures are an old-fashioned celebration of nature. VERDICT Like Kenard Pak's tenderly illustrated books that take on seasons (his own Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall and Cathy Camper's Ten Ways to Hear Snow), this book shows a deep appreciation for nature, and an acceptance of cyclical change; it will reward the introspective reader.-Jenny Arch

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 1, 2022
Young Emile, his dog at his side, frequents a field that is "wide and blue" and filled with flowers, bumblebees, and his favorite maple tree. Throughout the seasons, Emile talks to the field, asking if it misses things it doesn't know, such as the sea, and marvels at what the field does know, such as the stars in a mesmerizing night sky. When he visits one winter day with his father, Emile expresses his dismay over having to share the field with others (i.e., a group of loud children, sledding). His father's response brings him comfort and purpose. With gentle rhythms, Young's verse captures the boy's observations with an emotional honesty (Emile wonders why the sledders didn't secure his "say-so" to visit); with an authenticity true to the impassioned feelings of children (Emile is described as being "in love" with the field); and with a tenderness that is touching but never saccharine. Ebinama brings this story of a Black boy having an immersive outdoor experience to life with delicate lines and lush and atmospheric watercolors; Emile in his puffy red coat, making a snow angel, is a reverent nod to Keats's Peter in The Snowy Day. The yellows, in particular, nearly glow in the form of flowers, bumblebees, and the golden hues of fall. What Emile learns from his father ("The field would not, could not be bought! or belong to anyone") is a satisfying conclusion to this exquisite story of one boy's unfettered delight in nature. Julie Danielson

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

March 1, 2022
Young Emile, his dog at his side, frequents a field that is "wide and blue" and filled with flowers, bumblebees, and his favorite maple tree. Throughout the seasons, Emile talks to the field, asking if it misses things it doesn't know, such as the sea, and marvels at what the field does know, such as the stars in a mesmerizing night sky. When he visits one winter day with his father, Emile expresses his dismay over having to share the field with others (i.e., a group of loud children, sledding). His father's response brings him comfort and purpose. With gentle rhythms, Young's verse captures the boy's observations with an emotional honesty (Emile wonders why the sledders didn't secure his "say-so" to visit); with an authenticity true to the impassioned feelings of children (Emile is described as being "in love" with the field); and with a tenderness that is touching but never saccharine. Ebinama brings this story of a Black boy having an immersive outdoor experience to life with delicate lines and lush and atmospheric watercolors; Emile in his puffy red coat, making a snow angel, is a reverent nod to Keats's Peter in The Snowy Day. The yellows, in particular, nearly glow in the form of flowers, bumblebees, and the golden hues of fall. What Emile learns from his father ("The field would not, could not be bought! or belong to anyone") is a satisfying conclusion to this exquisite story of one boy's unfettered delight in nature. Julie Danielson

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2022
Young Emile, his dog at his side, frequents a field that is "wide and blue" and filled with flowers, bumblebees, and his favorite maple tree. Throughout the seasons, Emile talks to the field, asking if it misses things it doesn't know, such as the sea, and marvels at what the field does know, such as the stars in a mesmerizing night sky. When he visits one winter day with his father, Emile expresses his dismay over having to share the field with others (i.e., a group of loud children, sledding). His father's response brings him comfort and purpose. With gentle rhythms, Young's verse captures the boy's observations with an emotional honesty (Emile wonders why the sledders didn't secure his "say-so" to visit); with an authenticity true to the impassioned feelings of children (Emile is described as being "in love" with the field); and with a tenderness that is touching but never saccharine. Ebinama brings this story of a Black boy having an immersive outdoor experience to life with delicate lines and lush and atmospheric watercolors; Emile in his puffy red coat, making a snow angel, is a reverent nod to Keats's Peter in The Snowy Day. The yellows, in particular, nearly glow in the form of flowers, bumblebees, and the golden hues of fall. What Emile learns from his father ("The field would not, could not be bought! or belong to anyone") is a satisfying conclusion to this exquisite story of one boy's unfettered delight in nature.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)