A Tall Tale About a Dachshund and a Pelican

How a Friendship Came to Be (Tall Tales)

Children - Fable
52 Pages
Reviewed on 04/13/2017
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Author Biography

I’d been intrigued with pelicans from the moment I watched them plunge into the ocean fishing for their meals in southern Oregon. My interest was rekindled during a trip to Mexico, watching the antics of the brown pelicans. I began contemplating how I might pair up a pelican with a dachshund for a tall tale. Having dedicated my adult life and ministry (I'm a retired minister with the United Church of Christ (UCC) and served 20+ years as a chaplain in the hospital and long term care settings) to honoring people of all backgrounds, it occurred to me that the dog and bird would be unlikely friends. Could I create a tall tale that honored the uniqueness of each animal yet allowed them to become friends? I dedicated the book to the Interfaith Amigos: Pastor Don Mackenzie, Rabbi Ted Falcon and Sheikh Jamal Rahman — three local men from different traditions who came together after 9/11 to collaborate on ways to promote interfaith dialog. Their clear message, “We can like without being alike.”

    Book Review

Reviewed by Kristen Van Kampen for Readers' Favorite

A Tall Tale About a Dachshund and a Pelican: How a Friendship Came to Be by Kizzie Jones is a beautiful story about a young dachshund named Goldie. One day, a little girl and her dachshund Goldie were walking along the beach. Goldie sees a pelican and thinks they are similar. They both have a long snout and a long body. Goldie asks the pelican if they could be friends because they were so alike, but the pelican didn't share Goldie's views on how alike they looked, and so the pelican shows Goldie their differences. Goldie becomes sad, thinking that they could only be friends if they were alike. But do animals really need to be alike in order to be friends?

I really enjoyed reading A Tall Tale About a Dachshund and a Pelican by Kizzie Jones. The book shows children that they should celebrate their differences, just like Goldie and the pelican. It also teaches that just because you may be different, it doesn't mean you can't be friends. The book also teaches young readers about dachshunds and pelicans. The book is beautifully written and the story is very heartwarming. I liked how some of the words were written in a different font and a different colour. The illustrations by Scott Ward are very well drawn and beautiful. The pictures of Goldie are adorable, and the pictures are also very colorful. Children will want to read this book again and again. The story is well developed and thought out. I would definitely recommend this book to all young readers.