I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am a sucker for books about kids and their grandparents especially when they writing is beautiful and the pictures are too. This one was a winner.

Johnny's Pheasant is a charmingly written and illustrated picture book about a little boy and his grandmother, who find a pheasant lying by the side of the road and take it home. Grandma thinks it's dead, but says she can use it for her crafts, but Johnny knows it's fine. So they box it up and take it home to care for it (or craft from it). The story is simply told and easy for kids to understand. This is a story about an indigenous family, although the story never directly calls itself that. The art is unique, distinct in style, and colorful, and it captures the sense of mood and action in each scene well. I think this would be an engaging book for small children and a useful addition to a diverse picture book library. Just don't blame me (or the author) if your child starts wanting to bring wild animals home.

Thank you to #NetGalley and University of Minnesota Press for letting me read an #advancedcopy of #JohnnysPheasant . This is my honest opinion.

Beautiful but unfortunately not that interesting of a story and ultimately pretty forgettable. Maybe some info about pheasants or animal care could add to it.

This is a peaceful children’s title full of humor and optimism.

A little boy stops his grandmother to pick up a pheasant. Grandmother has practical ideas for what she believes is a bird that has been killed by a car, while Johnny boots and believes the bird will be just fine. The illustrations and the text work together well to present a story that is joyous in nature and optimism. It is quietly hopeful, and surprisingly funny at moments and would be a fun read aloud for young children.

4.5 stars.

Johnny's Pheasant genuinely exceeded any expectations I had for it. This is my first time reading anything from Cheryl Minnema, but I don't intend for it to be the last. The story here is really cute and joyful and fun. It was a genuine pleasure to read, and even as an adult, I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Julie Flett's illustrations are beautiful, but I'm a huge fan of her work generally, and I've never not loved anything she's done.

Definitely recommended!

Oh dear. Now, I understand this is a specific story with a specific background, and comes from both the heart and from a pair of creators proudly belonging to American First Nations peoples. But none of that features in the story, which intends to have a universal appeal. And it really doesn't. Gran and boy are driving home with the shopping when he spots what looks like roadkill, and she lets him take it home and nurse it. While that utterly incomprehensible scenario plays out, the lad jumps around and around making daft noises until you wonder what's wrong with him. This pair of wrong'uns and the titular pheasant are all we see in this little tale, and I was just left completely nonplussed by them and it. I assume it means something to someone somewhere, but for me this really did not travel successfully.

'Johnny's Pheasant' by Cheryl Minnema with illustrations by Julie Flett is a picture book about a boy, his grandmother and a pheasant.

When Johnny and his grandmother are driving back from the store, Johnny spots a pheasant lying in the grass. Johnny wants to care for it, grandmother thinks it is dead, but the feathers can be used for her crafts, so they take it home. When the pheasant surprises them both, there is humor and respect for living creatures.

I really enjoyed this gentle story about a boy and his grandmother and the creature they encounter. I liked the story of respecting nature and the surprising humor found within. The illustrations are really very nice.

I received a review copy of this ebook from University of Minnesota Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

I liked this book. It was a really quick read. It was simple. It had subtle humour. Johnny and his grandma are adorable.

The images were beautiful but showed up very dark. I’m not sure if that is my phone or the actual images.

This was a charming book about a boy, his grandmother and a pheasant. I loved the illustrations and I think it's great Native American representation in picture books.

Johnny finds a bird, beside the road, and his grandmother doesn't want to crush him, so humors him, and take the bird home, thinking, that if anything, she can use the feathers to make beautiful things.

But Johnny. Johnny knows the bird is only stunned, so is not surprised when the bird wakes up in the house, and flies around.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5509" src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/johnnys-phesant.png" alt="" />

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5508" src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/johnnys-phasant2.png" alt="" />

A cute book about, what, faith? Of believing your gut? Not really sure, but the boy has fun mimicking the voice of the pheasant.

Beautiful pictures. And joyful boy and bird.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.