The Journey Of Oliver K. Woodman

Not to be confused with the journeys of Oliver J. Woodman or Oliver L. Woodman. 

THREE PROS
*If you are a sucker for the power of love and good deeds, then you will really like this book   
*Have to give Darcy Pattison credit for coming up with the interesting experiences this lifeless object encountered on his cross-county adventure (my fave: protecting a family from bears)
*I had no idea there was a place called Rough and Ready, CA just 150 miles from the spot I called home for so many years

THREE CONS 
*Never been a fan of the "trading correspondence back and forth" style of plot movement 
*I don't care what apparatus Uncle Ray used to initially attach that orange hat to OKW's head, but there's just no way it would have still been there by the time he arrived in California 
*It's sweet to think of Oliver travelling by air, but for a family with little discretionary income to spring for an extra ticket (instead of just checking the Woodman under the plane) defies belief

ONE DAD'S OPINION

Alright. Let's carve into this wooden piece and see what we end up with.  There's a big knot at the center of everything, in the form of the letters, postcards, and press clippings.  If I could, I would have chopped it off.  That said, I'm not sure we'd have much left if such an action was taken.  So we'll work around it.  The glue that holds it all together has to be Joe Cepeda's masterful depiction of the American West.  [His illustrations are worthy of a few postcards themselves.]  Add in some strong detail nails from Pattison and you've got a project most artists would be proud of.  It's not showroom-quality mahogany, but there's no harm in displaying it in your living room for a few weeks. 

BuBORROW / Donate / Destroy



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