Children's Author
Lindalouise
Reviews & Resources
A portion of the proceeds will go to St. Jude's Children's Hospital and ASPCA.
An Amazonian Tale from the Brazilian Caboclos Tribe
Book Life Review
Lindalouise’s debut picture book is a simple, kind fable about helping others, framed as a traditional story told by indigenous Brazilian elders. Lana the ocelot is eager to help all kinds of creatures in her Amazon rainforest home, including helping a toucan build a nest and howler monkeys find bananas; she holds fast to the conviction that “it’s the right thing to do” to “offer help whenever possible.” She gains friends among the animals who build homes close to her. Leo the jaguar, on the other hand, is selfish and exiles himself far from the others, who give him a wide berth. Leo sneers at Lana’s openheartedness and, when one of her kittens wanders off, he refuses to help her search. But soon Leo has a dangerous run-in with loggers, forcing him to question his rejection of past offers for help.
The human elements, indigenous storytellers and the loggers working in the forest, are only touched upon, with little commentary on the ecological effect of logging; the story focuses on the differences between selfish Leo and cooperative Lana. The friendliness towards all creatures from a carnivorous ocelot matches the softened reality of most traditional fables (though teaching her kittens to hunt is mentioned). Although the text pages, which superimpose small text over a pale illustration, can seem a little busy, the length seems ideal for reading aloud.
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The plot is clear and easy to understand, and the illustrations are vibrant and playful, with a pen-and-watercolor effect, lightly anthropomorphizing the creatures while still maintaining a sense of realism. Young readers will enjoy this gentle call for selflessness.
A portion of this book's proceeds goes to organizations that help fight cancer and find good homes for animals.
Cletus the Little Loggerhead Turtle
Book Life Review
Lindalouise’s debut picture book personifies the fragility of the natural world through Cletus, a newly-hatched loggerhead turtle stubbornly determined to make his own way. When Cletus and his brother Charley emerge from their eggs on a sandy beach, they watch while the rest of their siblings follow a carved-out path to the ocean—but despite Charley’s exhortations, Cletus decides that climbing up a nearby hill will get him there faster. Already an endangered species, Cletus is soon under attack by a waiting predator, and it’s only the intervention of kindly hermit crab Leonardo and astute sandpiper Oceana that can save the capricious Cletus.
Lindalouise draws on science to illuminate Cletus’s journey in this educational treat. The surprisingly well-informed Leonardo and Oceana explain how baby loggerhead turtles head to the Sargasso Sea where, protected by swirling currents and underwater vegetation, they grow from tiny hatchlings into majestic creatures weighing hundreds of pounds. Cletus takes in this information while learning of his own vulnerability. Lindalouise deftly frames his future as both a distant promise and the impetus for immediate action, giving young readers a preview of long-range thinking while igniting their sense of urgency to protect wildlife.
Kerrie Robertson’s illustrations are beautifully striking, combining the cartoony quality of Cletus and his friends with sparkling sand, wispy and windblown plant life, and textured water that seems to be in constant motion. In one of the most effective drawings, Cletus realizes that predators are more plentiful than friends, as seagulls gather over the water and a fox and raccoon hide in the nearby grass. With heart-pounding immediacy and an awareness of far-reaching consequences, Cletus and his adventure offer assurance to young readers commencing their own journeys that perilous problems can be solved with understanding, cooperation, and resolve.