Constantine

by Nancy Rogers Yaeger

On a small beautiful island in the Caribbean lived an old man who was very shy. He lived all alone and nobody ever came to visit him. Then one morning he was astounded by the arrival of a toucan who... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0333793919
• ISBN13: 9780333793916
• Release Date: March 2002
• Publisher: MacMillan Caribbean
• Length: 56 Pages
• Weight: 0.69 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.7" x 7.5"
• Age Range: 3 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

A Great Toucan Captivates the Island

An old man lives alone on an island in the Caribbean. His house is in a place called Monkey Hill overlooking the sea. He is shy and lonely, and the kids in town laugh at him. The appearance of a toucan, whom he names Constantine after the famous Caribbean cricketer, changes his life. The old man's colorful new companion captivates the children and other islanders with his sheer beauty and a variety of actions, activities, and tricks. The old man (never named) and all the islanders are brought together in a purely affectionate story. There are no sharp humor or twists. One of the best things about this book is its beautiful colors. The artwork has the sometimes pastel-light, tropical brightness of the Caribbean color scene, with lots of aqua and light blue, and check out those oranges, yellows, and lime greens! There is some non-intricate detail to trees, flowers, ocean waves, and the old man's house, but none of the people and clothing, which are rather flat and rigid looking. The kids will enjoy this story of a likely continental toucan (I save you from the spoiler about how he got to the island) whose tropical colors find their niche in an equally tropical setting.

Wonderful West Indian (Caribbean) tale of friendship

I came across this book by chance when I was looking for books to share with my students (I teach Grade 2) about the West Indies where I was born and raised. It is a lovely story of friendship and community.