Christopher's Folly

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

Christopher is so enamored with his new toy boat that he forgets to feed
his faithful dog, Princess. The boat even takes over Princess’s
sleeping place in Christopher’s bedroom. Once asleep, Christopher
dreams that he is the only human in a world full of animals. At first,
the animals welcome Christopher as an equal. Because he is human, they
share themselves as food to keep him alive and clothing to keep him
warm. But instead of being grateful, Christopher becomes thoughtless and
greedy. He wastes so much of the animal gifts that two of his friends
soon become extinct. Not surprisingly, the other animals now run away
from Christopher. After a series of further misadventures, Christopher
decides that he must change his ways. With the spirits of the two
extinct animals to guide him, Christopher eventually learns how to love
and respect his fellow animals.

This absorbing story, written by Native author Beatrice Mosionier, is
an allegory about humanity’s arrogance toward the environment. The
modern world’s self-destructive greed is easy to recognize in young
Christopher. Yet Mosionier tells her story without alienating people
from nature. Humans, Christopher discovers, are not enemies of the
environment but an essential part of it. The animal characters in the
illustrations by Terry Gallagher are especially enjoyable. Highly
recommended.