"What's Upnorth?"
is an
endearing
story of a young boy and his family heading "Upnorth" for a summer vacation. As the boy watches his family prepare for the trip, he is curious and a little afraid because he does not know what "Upnorth" is. He decides he must figure this problem out and goes to his grandpa, grandma, mother, father, aunt, uncle, sister, and brother for answers.
He asks each, "What's Upnorth?" and gets a variety of answers personal to each family member. Grandpa shares his image of trees touching the clouds and Grandma describes images of the moon on water. His father says it's fish and loons, and his mother says stars. His aunt tells of huge ice-cream cones and his uncle of deer on the shore line. Finally, his brother and sister share that it is wind and campfires.
None of these answers satisfy the boy. Frustrated he goes once more to his mother who suggests that he will soon find his own answer. Upon arriving "Upnorth," the boy uses his senses and visual images and figures out that "Upnorth" is
amazing
.
The book has been described by readers as "
pure joy
on paper." The story is written with
warmth
and portrays clearly the places and moments that make "Upnorth" so special. The illustrations are
charming
and
full of life
. One reader suggests that, "the words and art create a world that makes you want to pack a bag and head north immediately.