The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors
Author: Drew Daywalt
Illustrated by: Adam Rex
Published: Balzer & Bray, 2017

If you know me personally, you’ve probably tried to pay for coffee at some point in our relationship. And since I can’t let things be easy, I’ve probably turned your kind gesture into a niceness war.

The script goes something like this:
Me: No, let me get it.
You: No, I’d be happy to.
Me: My treat this time, for real.
You: No, no, it’s mine.

And so forth.

And if this has happened, you know that the only way to end a niceness war is by starting another conflict: I’m talking rock, paper, scissors. To the death (actually, best 2/3).

Today’s story is all about the origins of rock, paper, scissors. It starts with a warrior named Rock. He lives in the Backyard Kingdom and he is undefeated in battle. My favourite line of the book happens in this part of the story. (Rock encounters an apricot and says “You, sir, look like a fuzzy little butt.”) Rock defeats the apricot (of course) and then leaves the kingdom in search of a more worthy adversary.

Next, we join the adorable (and somewhat reminiscent of Spongebob SquarePants) Paper. Paper lives in the Mom’s Home Office Empire. And, like Rock, Paper is undefeatable. Paper decides, after slaying a printer (with a paper jam) and a half-eaten bag of trail mix (by blocking out the sun) to move on and find an opponent who really puts up a fight.

Finally, we meet Scissors. Scissors lives in the kitchen and she battles all kinds of interesting characters (tape, dinosaur-shaped-frozen-nuggets). After vanquishing her enemies, she decides to leave the kitchen and find someone who is strong enough to fight her.

Everyone ends up meeting in the garage. And then Scissors takes on Rock. Rock wins (again). But wait…Paper shows up and BEATS ROCK! And then Scissors takes on Paper and she wins! So everyone feels the joy of winning and of finally being beaten by someone who is a superior warrior.

And this is why we now play Rock, Paper, Scissors – to honour the great warriors.

There are five things I love about this book:

1. The art. Adam Rex, you’re fast becoming one of my favourite illustrators. I loved Nothing Rhymes With Orange, and I love this one too. My favourite character is Rock. I want a doorstop that looks like him.
2. The personality of the characters. The dialogue is really funny and the situations the characters find themselves in are excellent.
3. The premise: everyone knows Rock, Paper, Scissors! Creating a story around their conflict is such a clever idea. One I wish I had thought of first!
4. The story is not short, but it doesn’t feel overly long. It’s really well-written. (Fun note: Drew Daywalt wrote The Day the Crayons Quit and The Day the Crayons Came Home. Those books are also really fun to read/excellent.)
5. The pacing is right-on. It’s fast-paced and exciting. My kiddos loved it.

The art is superb. The story is hilarious. We are definitely getting a copy for our bookshelf.

Mama’s Review: A+
Vivi’s Review: “Scissors was my favourite.”
Lily’s Review: “Fuzzy little butt! Haha!”

Title: Not Quite Narwhal
Author/Illustrator: Jessie Sima
Published: Simon and Schuster, 2017

Know what’s awesome? Unicorns. Also, narwhals. So that would make a unicorn/narwhal mash-up the most awesome creature in the universe, right?
Right!
Jessie Sima’s Not Quite Narwhal is absolutely adorable, from start to finish. The front cover is so cute, it’s impossible NOT to pick the book up and have a read.

The story follows the sweetly named Kelp. He was born in the ocean and raised by a pod of narwhals. It’s immediately apparent (to both the reader and the narwhals) that Kelp is a bit different – he has a shorter tusk, likes different food than the others and doesn’t actually swim very well. No one really minds, though, so neither does he.

One day, Kelp happens to surface and, in the distance, sees a creature that looks just like him…a land narwhal, if you will. After taking the time to learn how to walk, Kelp searches for and finds a whole group of unicorns.

The unicorns teach Kelp all about being a land narwhal. Kelp has a lot of fun and LOVES being a unicorn, but he misses his underwater friends. So he goes back.

His friends are glad to see him and confirm that yes, they know he’s a unicorn. Kelp is torn. He wants to be part of both worlds, but how can he possibly choose?

It turns out, in classic picture-book-happy-ending-fashion that he doesn’t have to! (There’s a land/water volley-ball game that illustrates this point perfectly.)

The three things I liked the most about this book are:

1. The art is absolutely adorable. There really isn’t a better word for it. The pastel palette is so sweet and the character design is lovely.
   2. The message of ‘you can belong in two places’ is extremely comforting (and true).
   3. Kelp’s determination to learn how to walk/to find the land narwhals/to continue swimming although he’s not fast is commendable. He’s strong. He’ll get there. Kids need to see this more; you can’t just expect to do something the first time. Learning a new skill takes practice!

The only criticism my girls had was (sigh…wait for it): Kelp would’ve been better had he been a girl. Of course, they literally say this for every single book we have, but in this case I think they were genuinely confused as to why a cute little unicorn would be a boy. We did have the discussion about “boys can like cute and can actually be cute,” but they were hell-bent on calling Kelp a ‘she’.

But that’s just them.

That minor detail aside, they loved Not Quite Narwhal and we have read it probably ten times since we borrowed it from the library. I think we’ll have to add this one to our own collection pretty soon!

Mama’s review: A
Vivi’s review: 10 (girl) unicorns
Lily’s review: “I like narwhals!”

Title: The One Day House
Author: Julia Durango
Illustrator: Bianca Diaz
Published: Charlesbridge Publishing, 2017

Today’s book is, at its core, about love. If we are lucky, we have supportive, caring people in our lives. People who make us better than we usually are. I am super-lucky and have a whole bunch of wonderful individuals like that. I just got back from an amazing cottage weekend with a ‘pretend’ aunt of mine. (Pretend in that we’re not blood-related…not pretend as in imaginary. Just wanted to clear that up.) The One Day House seemed to be the perfect book to review upon returning home. The grandmother character, Gigi, reminds me of my pretend aunt. She is welcoming and kind and caring.

The story centres around a little boy, Wilson, who just wants to make his Gigi happy. He promises her that he’s going to do all sorts of wonderful things to make her house better: he’s going to paint her house orange and yellow.  He’s going to build a fence around her house so she can have a dog for company. He’s going to fix Gigi’s windows.   He’s going to fix her piano. And each time he makes a promise, Gigi is appreciative, but tells Wilson that he’s more than enough company/warmth/and song for her.

Wilson’s promises seem rather big for such a small kid. But he tells other people about his ideas. He spreads the word…so that ‘one day’ becomes a fantastic reality.

The book ends with all sorts of neighbours and friends showing up to help make Gigi’s house just perfect.

I read this story to the family after dinner tonight. And everyone had a different opinion about the book. As is the norm around this house, actually.

Jess: So, what did we all think of The One Day House?
Karl: Well, I thought-
Vivi: I should go first, otherwise I might copy what he says.
Karl: True.
Vivi: OK, so I liked it. I really enjoyed the part where everyone came together and helped and really made the house a reality. That was so kind.
Jess: What did you think, Lily?
Lily: I loved it!
Jess: Karl?
Karl: I really like the message of the story. It’s great. Like, you can have these big ideas but they really mean nothing unless you act on them. It encourages kids to follow through with their ideas. But the art…I didn’t like it.
Jess: Why not?
Karl: Some of the perspective is really weird. Some of it is good, but now and then it goes all wonky. And the people characters aren’t great.
Jess: I liked it! I thought it was really stylized. I enjoyed the art.
Vivi: I’m with Daddy.
Jess: The only thing I wasn’t sure about was why Abraham Lincoln was cleaning the chimney.
Karl: What?
Jess: Look (points at character dressed in stovepipe hat)
Karl: Do chimney sweeps dress like that?
Jess: I don’t know.  (Googles it) It doesn’t seem like it. Maybe in the past?
Vivi: I give it an 8/10.
Jess: Lily, your thoughts?
Lily: 11 out of 10!

So, overall, we enjoyed The One Day House. I suspect you will too!

Title: Snappsy The Alligator And His Best Friend Forever!
Author: Julie Falatko
Illustrator: Tim Miller
Published: Viking, 2017

I always like books about unlikely friendships. I once wrote a series of  stories about a bear and a duck that I was really excited about, until I found a bazillion books featuring a bear and a duck. (Slight exaggeration, but not by much.)

Anyway, lots of animal pairings have been done (bear and duck, bear and squirrel, frog and toad, pig and llama…) but not alligator and chicken.

Until now.

Snappsy and his chicken friend (later revealed to be “Bert”) are hilarious.

Bert really, really, REALLY wants to hang out with Snappsy and do BFF stuff with him. Snappsy is…well…not SUPER enthusiastic about this. He’s really more interested in doing stuff alone.

Bert is not easily deterred, however. He suggests disco dancing. A sleepover. Wearing BFF shirts. Karaoke. Temporary tattoos.

But Snappsy wants none of it. He sends Bert on his way.

Then, after doing a few activities by himself, Snappsy realizes something: he really misses Bert. So he writes him a sleepover invitation. Fortunately, Bert is having a blow-up pool party right outside Snappsy’s door.

They decide to have a sleepover together (and they have a great time) and then Bert mentions that he’s going to move in.

Snappsy is shocked.

Bert is driving a moving truck.

The art is really excellent and cartoon-y. The characters are both loveable in their own way. The premise is funny. It reminds me a bit of I Love You Already in that one friend is really into the friendship and then the other one realizes that they’re into it as well.

The girls really enjoyed the book and found it generally hilarious.

Mama’s Review: 9/10
Vivi’s Review: A
Lily’s Review: “Bert is a great chicken.”

Title: Oh No, George!
Author/Illustrator: Chris Haughton
Published: Candlewick Press, 2012

Can I just gush for a moment about the beauty of a good board book? A good board book is a work of art, really. I feel like board books are just usually overlooked or underrated. They’re for babies, after all! They’re meant to be manhandled and chewed, right? Well, yes. But also read! They’re also meant to be read. And these are some of a baby’s first stories. So it’s important that they’re well-written and engaging and that the art is captivating. Fortunately, Oh No, George! is all that and more.

Oh No, George! is all about an adorable (and large) dog trying to be good while his owner, Harry, goes out for a bit. George goes so far as to promise Harry that he’ll be good. Very good!

But promises are meant to be broken, aren’t they?

George has a good heart and the best of intentions. He WANTS to behave himself. There are just so many temptations. Cake, for instance. How is a dog supposed to just walk on by and ignore something as tasty as a cake?
(Spoiler alert: he doesn’t.)

Next, there’s a cat. Well, you know cats need chasing. So George takes care of that.

Finally, there are some lovely indoor plants. George just has to have a little dig. And then Harry returns. You can imagine his reaction when he sees what George has done.

George realizes how upset Harry is. George knows how naughty he’s been. And he’s sorry…really sorry. He decides to give Harry one of his toys to make up for it. Harry suggests a walk.

But even outside there are temptations.  Another cake (but this time, George walks right by). There’s the cat! (George doesn’t even try to chase the cat!) And then…there’s a garbage can full of delightful trash.

And we’re left wondering: what will George do?

This book was given to me as a gift for my oldest daughter’s baby shower. (Thanks for the book, cousin Jo!) I hadn’t heard of it before, but I immediately loved it. When I first started reading it to Vivi, she was too young to appreciate the art or the text, but as she grew, she asked for the book by name. When Lily came along, she also fell for George. The art is so colourful, yet simple. George’s expressions are endearing. I always read George with kind of a low, slow voice. He’s a bit dumb, but very friendly (according to my interpretation). Harry is always British and slightly annoyed. Think “Harvey P. Dull” from The Furchester Hotel, but a bit less whiny. Just my suggestions, of course. You do you!

Mama’s Review: A
Vivi’s Review: “I always liked George.”
Lily’s Review: “I like when he chased the cat and ate the cake. Heh, heh.”

Title: City Dog, Country Frog
Author: Mo Willems
Illustrator: Jon J. Muth
Published: Hyperion Books for Children, 2010

I have to admit something: I’m a huge Mo Willems fan. Everyone in this house is, really. We have the entire Elephant and Piggie series, the three Knuffle Bunny books, Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs and a random assortment of other books he’s written. And they are all good. Really, all of them. They’re fun to read, my girls love them (and have literally memorized all of the Elephant and Piggie books), the art is cute. (Side note: Elephant and Piggie are adorable as felt hand puppets. How do I know this? Because I made about ten of each for my daughter’s school this year!)

Anyway, Mo Willems is a rock star. Really. He’s in my ‘if I could take five famous people to lunch and pick their brains’ group. I think he’s the bee’s knees.

And then there’s Jon J. Muth. I didn’t know much about him before I read Zen Shorts. I LOVED the art so much, I remember showing my husband and having him say, “Oh, Jon J. Muth? Yeah, he’s pretty amazing.” Apparently, Mr. Muth is a comic artist along with being a children’s book illustrator and that’s where Karl (my husband) had first seen his work. (Another side note: Karl is a giant comic book /superhero nerd. He is to comics what I am to picture books. Our house just has a lot of books, is what I’m saying.)

So! You can imagine my joy when I received a book that was written by the amazing Mr. Willems and illustrated by the talented Mr. Muth. Karl bought me the book for my birthday one year and I proceeded to read it and ugly cry at the table.

Good times, good times.

But the point is, the book is outstanding. It’s so very touching, so very sweet. It’s about a dog who ends up moving to the country. He runs through the grass and ends up at a pond where he meets Frog. Frog teaches Dog frog games and they splash and have a really great time together. That was in the spring. Next, it’s summertime and Dog teaches Frog dog games. They fetch and sniff and bark. Summer gives way to fall, and Frog is tired. Dog and Frog play remembering games. Then, right at the end of the season, Dog has fallen asleep and you can see Frog give him a little wave.

Then winter comes and Dog heads for Frog’s rock, but Frog isn’t there.

The saddest, most poignant moment of the book for me is when Dog is sitting alone in the snow. Just…looking for his friend. And his friend is gone.

When spring comes again, Dog is sad. He heads to the pond, hoping to find his friend. Of course, Frog is really gone. But there is a chipmunk. With memories of his froggy friend in his heart (and a froggy smile on his face), Dog decides that perhaps, as a friend, Chipmunk will do.

This book is perfection for three reasons:

1. It handles the topic of loss/death/the circle of life so sensitively and with the gentle reassurance that gone isn’t really gone. Frog remains in Dog’s heart even in the winter and the following spring. Dog will always carry a piece of Frog with him.
2. The art is stunning. Seriously, it is absolutely gorgeous. It captures the sweetness of their friendship and the sadness of Dog’s loss beautifully.
3. The book is just really well-written. (See: Mo Willems is a rock star.)

If you want a book that will make you smile and then cry and  then smile again, this is the one for you. Or your best friend. Or, you know, anyone.

Mama’s review: A+++
Lily’s review: “I like the part where the dog and frog make friends.”
(Vivi was too busy playing to give a review tonight.)

Title: Nothing Rhymes With Orange
Author/Illustrator: Adam Rex
Published: Chronicle Books, 2017

As you might know, I am Canadian. Today is Canada Day and that means it’s time to show off your knowledge of moose trivia and Tragically Hip lyrics (kidding…sorta). I am proud to be Canadian, especially these days with the world being as it is. Canada is a diverse country full of awesome people. We enjoy free healthcare, good schools and more lakes than you can shake a stick at. So happy Canada Day, fellow Canucks!

Now, our review doesn’t really have much to do with Canada Day. I have some Canadian books coming up, don’t worry…but today my girls begged me to read a book we got from the library. A book about an orange.

Before I get to the review, I have a question: Adam Rex, where have you been all my life? After reading The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors (and loving the art), I was delighted to find a book that Mr. Rex both wrote and illustrated. And it is hilarious.

Nothing Rhymes With Orange follows poor Orange, the fruit that always gets left out of rhymes/songs because of his un-rhyme-able name. He listens to the other fruit talk about how fantastic they are. (“And these grapes are wearing capes because they’re super good to eat.”) He keeps mentioning the fact that he’s around, in case anyone needs him for anything.

No one does.

It seems EVERY SINGLE OTHER FRUIT gets featured in this story. There’s a quince! A current! Heck, they talk about a kumquat! But poor Orange just sits on the sidelines, watching.

Then Friedrich Nietzsche shows up. Yes, you read that right. Friedrich Nietzsche.

I actually burst out laughing the first time I read this story. It is so bizarre and unexpected.

The story is wacky, strange and very, very funny. I don’t want to give away too much about the ending, but suffice it to say that Orange finds his place in the rhyme (they make up a word for him).

The art reminded me very much of the fruit books done by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers. Adam Rex uses actual fruit and adds adorable faces. I fell in love with the Quince, for real. The braces just…I don’t know, it’s like looking at a 12-year-old version of myself.

I read this during dessert tonight and we did a round table of opinions with my girls and my husband. Here’s a (close-to-accurate) transcript:

Mama: So, what did you guys think of the book?
Husband: I liked it, but I felt that the orange’s interjections, while funny, kind of took away from the flow of the story.
Vivi: I also felt that. I liked the orange a lot, though. I think he should’ve been the first character you met.
Mama: He kind of was, like he was on the inside cover page.
Vivi: That’s not really part of the story, though. It hadn’t started yet.
Mama: <sigh>
Lily: I liked the part where they were all having a party! It was great!
Mama: Grades, everyone?
Lily: I LOVED THE ORANGE!
Vivi: A.
Husband: B+

I think we have a winner. Pick up Nothing Rhymes With Orange and prepare to be delighted.

Title: Come With Me
Author: Holly M. McGhee
Illustrator: Pascal Lamaitre
Published: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2017

I’m going to subtitle this review “My Unpopular Opinion: Feel Free to Disagree.”  But first, a disclaimer: I really, really WANTED to like this book. Honest. I had never heard of Come With Me before, but I found it on a “best of” list. The reviews on Goodreads were (mostly) positive. People on Amazon seemed to like it. I was stoked! This was going to be a great book.

But it wasn’t.

Not for me, anyway. Everyone has their own preferences in kid lit, as in everything. I was worried I was missing something (the ‘this is so great!’ that everyone else seemed to feel when reading the story), so I gave it to my husband to peruse (he’s pretty well-versed in kid lit himself…and he works in the children’s entertainment industry). He was as confused as I was. The book isn’t complicated, don’t get me wrong. The intent is good. But the delivery is somewhat lackluster. Let’s break it down:

We start with a little girl who happens to be watching what is probably the news on TV. Obviously, something bad has happened, as the text tells us: “All over the world, the news told and told and retold of anger and hatred — people against people.” The girl was, understandably, scared. She asks her dad what she can do to make the world a better place.  So far, so good. I turned the page eagerly to see what her dad would say. (“Donate to the food bank!” “Sell lemonade to raise money for charity!” “Buy a homeless person a meal!”)

Her dad told her to come with him. They went to the subway and tipped their hats at people on the platform and then continued to ride the subway.

Huh?

Confused? I was. I mean, I get the idea that they’re overcoming fear by going on the subway, good, fine. But that’s not what the girl asked. She specifically asked how to make the world a better place. Tipping your hat at your fellow subway-riders would likely lead to one of two things happening:
1. Bewildered smiles
2. Raised eyebrows (because, honestly? Who tips a hat anymore? Like, maybe an 80-year-old grandpa…)

But it does not make the world a better place.

Next, the girl asks her mom the same question (presumably because she didn’t get a straight answer from her dad).

Her mom tells her to “come with me.” Mother and daughter go to a grocery store. This is one of the most disjointed parts of this book (I’m quoting directly so you see the problem I’m having with writing here):
“They went to their grocery to buy some things for dinner–because one person doesn’t represent a family or a race or a people of a land.”

That just felt so…incomplete. I actually flipped the pages a couple of times to make sure I hadn’t skipped a page/someone hadn’t torn a page out (it’s a library book). But no, that was the way it was written. The grocery store is clearly multi-cultural, but in this case, I feel the writer was leaning far too hard on the artist to help fill in any story gaps. It’s just not clear from the text how grocery shopping relates to generalizing the behaviour of one person to a group of people.

Buying stuff at a grocery store does not make the world a better place (which, again, is what the girl asked about). It means you need food and are supporting a local business (good stuff). But that’s about it.

Then we get into a short lesson on table-setting. Literally, a detailed description of how one sets a table. And again, as an adult I get the concept: you’re carrying on with regular life despite whatever terrible things are happening in the world. But this book isn’t for me. It’s for kids, and my kids didn’t get it. They had lost interest at this point (more on my thoughts about that in a moment).

After the family eats, the little girl decides to do something on her own. So she asks to walk the family dog. Her parents decide to let her (even though the news is still blaring in the background during dinner – crazy idea, maybe turn off CNN if your child is experiencing anxiety). So out she goes. Another kid joins her. And they join another kid who’s drawing with chalk. Eventually, a whole lot of people are drawing in chalk.  The end.

The best part of the book is after the kids go outside and meet up with each other. The text is sweet: “Brave, gentle, strong — and kind…to one another and all living things. And tiny as it was, their part mattered to the world. Your part matters too.” The message here is strong and definitely one I can get behind. The only trouble is, my kids were long gone when I got to the end. And here’s why:

1. They’re both young. Although picture books are generally written for their age group (they’re 3 and 5), this one definitely was not. Unless your 3 or 5 year old had witnessed something terrible, this book would make absolutely no sense to them and would lead to questions like: “Why did they say people hate each other? People don’t hate each other.” I am not going to shatter that illusion just yet. From their perspective, everyone is a friend and life is pretty peaceful and sweet. Yes, I know how insanely lucky they are to believe that. No, my own childhood wasn’t like that. But they honestly believe everyone likes everyone. They’ll find out the truth soon enough.
2. The story isn’t very interesting. It’s actually really mundane, and that’s the point. You just go on in your daily life after something bad happens. But, actually, that itself is a problem: the girl didn’t ask “how do you just go on after something bad happens?” She specifically asked for a way to make the world a better place. Her parents aren’t forthcoming in that regard. They could’ve given her fifteen different ideas as to what she could actively do to actively help. Tipping your hat and grocery shopping do not improve the world. One could argue that drawing with chalk does (at least it beautifies the world around you), but the girl figured that one out on her own.
3. The art is good, but not great. When you compare this art with something (anything) drawn by Dan Santat or Oliver Jeffers or Jon Klassen or the late Anna Dewdney or the late Phoebe Gilman or…well, you get the idea, it’s just not at the same level. It does its job, but doesn’t stand out as super-exceptional.

So I WISH I could like this book. And maybe it would be of use if you were using it with a grade 2+ to help with coping after something terrible happens in the world. I could get behind that. Maybe as a gift to an adult after a tragedy. But this isn’t the type of book you can just pick up and read to any kid at any time. It isn’t a story book, and it isn’t really for little ones.

Just my opinion. Feel free to disagree and let me know your point of view!

Mama’s review: Not for me
* The kids didn’t hear the whole thing, so no review from them today.

Title: Square
Author: Mac Barnett
Illustrator: Jon Klassen
Published: Candlewick Press, 2018

Square is the most recent shape-based story collaboration between author Mac Barnett and illustrator Jon Klassen. (Square is one of an eventual trilogy. I’ll review Triangle here soon…and Circle when it comes out!) The names of the author and illustrator probably sound very familiar if you’ve got kiddos…these guys are rock stars in the picture book world. Admittedly, I am a pretty massive Jon Klassen fan (I Want My Hat Back is among my top 25 picture books ever) and the more I read of Mac Barnett’s work, the more I like his work. Square is no exception. It is absolutely fabulous.

My girls immediately recognized Jon Klassen’s style as ‘the guy who drew the hat book!’ Lily really loves the design of square (and circle). There was something captivating about the simplicity of the art in this book- Lily loved examining each page.

But what of the story? Read on!

The story follows Square, a hard-working shape who moves square-shaped blocks from his secret cave onto a pile (it’s tough work, but somebody’s gotta do it). Everything is great, until his buddy Circle shows up and sees a block. She assumes that Square carved it himself, to look like himself. Circle tells Square that he’s a sculptor – a genius! She asks him to make a sculpture of her. Square has no idea how he will make a block into something as perfect as Circle. He works and chips away and tries his best…to no avail. He ends up falling asleep surrounded by rock pieces. And then it starts to rain.

I don’t want to give away the ending, so I’ll stop there. When I first read Square, I really didn’t see where the story was going. I absolutely LOVE picture books like this. All too often, you start reading a kid’s book, get a few pages in and then immediately see how everything will wrap up. In this case, I couldn’t figure out how Square would overcome his problem. He chopped up the block! It rained! Circle showed up early! He’s in trouble! But, of course, everything works out well. And Circle still thinks he’s a genius.

I love the fact that these books end with a question. In this case, “But was he really?” referring to the fact that, perhaps, Square’s ‘genius’ was more luck…but you can be the judge of that!

We’re definitely going to be picking up a copy of Square, Triangle and (eventually) Circle for our own library.

Mama’s review: It’s hip to be square!
Vivi’s review: A
Lily’s review: “He’s not really a genius, is he?”

Title: Morris Mole
Author/Illustrator: Dan Yaccarino
Published: Harper, 2017

Sometimes you stumble upon a book that proves to be more delightful than you initially anticipated based on its cover art. In this case, it was Morris Mole who stole my heart.

Now, moles aren’t exactly the *cutest* animals in real life. I admit, I’m a sucker for a naked mole rat’s ‘so-ugly-it’s-cute-ness,’ but after reading Morris Mole’s story, I’ve fallen for the regular, garden-variety type of mole as well.

We meet Morris and his several brothers (all of whom appear to be in the construction trade). Morris is the smallest of the mole siblings, and he’s also the only one dressed in a bowler cap and suit (which means, of course, that he has an English accent when I read his lines). When the brothers mention the fact that they’ve run out of food, Morris tries to share his brilliant idea with them…with no luck. While the brothers head out for some serious digging down, Morris decides to dig…up!

When Morris comes to the surface, he sees more beauty than ever before. He meets friendly critters, smells good smells and, best of all, finds all kinds of scrumptious foods (scrumptious to a mole, that is). He gathers all kinds of treats up and then goes for what appears to be a plump blackberry.

It turns out to be a fox’s nose. The fox is JUST about to gobble Morris up when they hear a growl. It’s a wolf! And he’s looking for Fox. Fox asks Morris for help, so Morris digs him a hole to hide in. When the wolf asks Morris if he’s seen Fox, Morris feigns ignorance. The wolf stomps off and Fox is so grateful for his new mole friend’s help that he (and his friends) gather a whole ton of food for Morris.

Morris is hailed as a hero when he returns home with this feast. The last page is adorable, reminding us that even though he’s little, Morris can do really big things.

This book is a terrific example of everything right with picture books. The art and the text marry perfectly (they were both done by the obviously talented Dan Yaccarino), the book is funny and promotes kindness. It has a great overall message (don’t let your size/age discourage you from doing big stuff). And it stars a mole dressed like a British businessman. What more can you ask for?

Another note on the art: I just love the graphic feel. It’s really gorgeous and Morris’ expressions are adorable. I’m a sucker for a mole in a hat, it seems.

My girls have asked for this book several times since it has arrived from the library. We will probably have to get a copy for our own bookshelf. They are both big Morris fans, although they did wonder why he was the only mole with an English accent. I told them it was artistic license on my part. And also, what else could he possibly sound like?

Mama’s review: 10/10
Vivi’s review: A+
Lily’s review: “I like the part where he thought he was biting a blackberry, but it was a fox!”