Bigfoot v’s Yeti: A Love Story

Some of the greatest books of all time tell stories of star-crossed people and forces – think of Romeo and Juliet, War and Peace, Pride and Prejudice and Hons and Rebels. If all of these seem just a little out of reach, James Foley’s latest picture book for children, Bigfoot v’s Yeti may be just the story for you, and especially for your kids and grandkids.

Like the other great books listed here, Bigfoot v’s Yeti is a story for our times; hence the inscription at the front ‘for the peacemakers’. And it is the creation of one of Fremantle’s very own extraordinary talents, bestselling and award-winning author-illustrator James Foley, and published by Fremantle Press.

Bigfoot v’s Yeti tells of two clans who for beyond living memory have been divided by an enormous rift. Stark black and white linocut illustrations highlight the enormity of the rift between the Bigfoots and the Yetis, as well as the black and white thinking of the clans towards each other. It is not just that the Yetis and Bigfoots come from different places; the monochrome pictures reinforce how they are completely alien to each other.

As the story of what comes to pass between the Bigfoots and the Yetis unfolds, the illustrations evolve with splashes of grey which evolve to shades of colour, culminating in a rendering of the most idyllic village you may wish to visit.

Children and adults alike will delight in the fierce yet cuddly Bigfoots and Yetis, some of whom pop out from the page. It is impossible to choose sides. Unless your weapon of choice when challenging any foe is a snowball rather than a fruit?

At Fremantle Press’s book launch for Big Foot v’s Yeti, James Foley spoke of how the idea for the story first came to him during Donald Trump’s first tenure as President. The story is more prescient now that Trump once again is President, issuing executive orders right and centre, much like the Yetis throwing snowballs and the Bigfoots throwing fruit. Chiefs all around the world could learn much from James Foley’s Big Foot v’s Yeti.

Whilst the book addresses challenging themes of polarisation and intolerance, it also depicts how to overcome adversity through friendship. All of this with a lightness of touch, and like any game between children, a good dose of fun.

Big Foot v’s Yeti was launched just last Saturday at a special event held at The Literature Centre in a secret corner of the Old Fremantle Prison. Those who attended were treated to slapstick humour and games of hide and seek, tug-of-war, and big-foot thong races, as well as a snowball fight (the organisers boldly saw no reason to let Fremantle’s sunny weather prevent this from happening).

In creating Big Foot v’s Yeti, James Foley took inspiration from this poem:

And this quote by Martin Luther King Jr:

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.

Bigfoot v’s Yeti indeed reminds us ‘Love is All you Need’.

If this captures your interest, you may wish to have a look at some of James Foley’s other books which include award-winning Stellarphant, a tale of an elephant breaking glass ceilings as well as Dungzilla, Brobot, Gastronauts and Chicken-Saurus – a graphic novel series for middle-grade readers who are curious about the world so long as there is humour, witty puns, and lots of action.

Oh, and here’s where to buy it.

James Foley with FSN’s Madeleine Cox

* By Madeleine Cox. Madeleine Cox was raised on a farm on Binjareb Noongar country and now, together with her New Zealand/Aotearoa husband, lives with her children in Fremantle/Walyalup. She loves exploring places and ideas, and connecting with people and nature. This has prompted Madeleine to start writing independently, after many years work as a corporate and government lawyer, and service on not-for-profit boards in the health and education sectors. For more articles on Fremantle Shipping News by Madeleine, look here.

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