Four Seasons of Rusty-Belly: Ode to the Seasons and the Birds of Boundary Bay
Éditions de la Nouvelle Plume / 16 November 2023

The Four Seasons of Rusty-Belly: Ode to the Seasons and the Birds of Boundary Bayby Danielle S. Marcotte, Illustrations by Francesca Da SaccoPublished by Éditions de la Nouvelle PlumeReview by Shelley A. Leedahl$14.95 ISBN 9-782925-329046 I am très pleased that The Four Seasons of Rusty-Belly: Ode to the Seasons and the Birds of Boundary Bay flew into my hands for review. Apart from the important facts that this geographically-specific children’s book is bilingual, well-written, and educational, I am perhaps especially pleased that it was illustrated by a real, living and breathing artist, not by Artificial Intelligence. It really does make all the difference; too often, of late, I’ve noticed that many writers and publishers are opting to use featureless, clichéd, computer-generated images in their children’s books, rather than investing in human talent. Tsawwassen, BC author and former Radio-Canada host Danielle S. Marcotte has been publishing books since 2014—nineteen titles—and if The Four Seasons of Rusty-Belly is indicative of her talent, I need to get my hands on more of her stories. As indicated by its title, this is a seasonal story set in BC’s Boundary Bay Park, which is “located on a major [bird] migration route,” the Pacific Flyway. Each…