Prune

This tale of an unlikely friendship between a prune, a muskrat, and a magpie explores love, loyalty, and acceptance of the new and unexpected

Grades 3-6--Prune is harvested, packed, and on his way to the packing shed when an accident flings him out of his crate and into an unexpected adventure. Along the way he meets Pica, a raucous magpie, and Muskrat. In an effort to return Prune to his orchard, the unlikely trio become friends and set off on an odyssey that teaches them much about friendship, loyalty, and courage. The author's detailed descriptive passages paint vivid images of a Washington fruit farm and its animal and human inhabitants. The descriptions are colorful, factual, and informative. The verbosity of the descriptive passages and the story's abrupt swings from the viewpoint of Prune and his friends to that of the humans inhabiting their world, both past and present, makes for a lengthy tale that overwhelms the simple, heart-warming story of friendship and courage. The advanced vocabulary and symbolism may be beyond the understanding of much of the intended audience. The single outbursts of profanity in one scene and the vivid description of the killing of one animal and the maiming of two others by a moving machine in another need to be considered when offering this to young audiences. Author and narrator Ramon Royal Ross speaks clearly and changes voices for each character. There are no sound effects or background noises to distract from the flow of the story.
Betty L. Pittman, Hackett Elementary School, AR
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