'In an age of computer-composing, the conceit of writing only until the ink pot empties is ingenious: it is entirely in keeping with James Reaney's good old-fashioned narrative sense. A lively highway romp from British Columbia to Ontario as Andre Delahay, recently fired university professor, returns with six progeny from a domestic sabbatical is balaned by life on the home front played out by Granny, his mother, and Lucy, mother of his unwieldy menage. The two family strands connect and, after a brief struggle with the elements and a pair of folksy criminals, reunite. In a delightful bit of instruction we learn that it is possible for the family unit to survive the onslaught of triplets, job loss, emotional breakdown and the three generation household. Equally remarkable is the wisdom of seventeen-year-old Colin who quite literally keeps the show on the road: he gently tames his three unruly five-year-old brothers with assists from the Sasquatch, the mythical beast of which the Terrible Three are mortally afraid. But then this is, after all, a romantic comedy in which trials and tribulations are either blessings in disguise or temporary setbacks on the narrative road to a happy resolution.'All in all, the deft prose style combined with keen characterization and mystery will sustain the young reader's interest. The clever structure in which the camera zooms in on travellers and stay-at-homes alternatively, then switches skillfully from main story line to tale-within-tale provides the stuff story spells are made of. Intriguingly Reaney leads us to a grand finale in which experience and fancy merge in the yarn that is spun from them both. Since the ink well is dry we are encouraged to write beyond the ending and it is the measure of Reaney's accomplishment that the reader of any age will find the invitation irresistible.' Canadian Children's Literature 'Thank you for the review copy of Take the Big Picture by James Reaney. What a wonderful addition to children's literature! I loved it. I especially loved it because I live in Antler River but I know I would love it just as much if I lived in BC or PEI. This book will work wonders for teachers who want to get kids to read, write, speak, listen and imagine. I can imagine the sequels which will appear as children try to write an ending to the story within a story. Please make certain that teachers hear about this book. They all need it badly! It's a great read aloud book for certain but also fun for quiet reading and imagining! My thanks to you for this wonderful book.' -- Don Fleckser London and Middlesex County Separate School Board 'Storyteller/playwright James Reaney has turned out the contents of his fertile brain, apparently writing down everything that came into it. Ingenuous, ingenious, silly, and quite funny in patches. Ages 9 to 14.' Kingston Whig-Standard
