Review - Nelly Gnu and Daddy Too

Nelly Gnu and Daddy Too (Llama Llama)
by Anna Dewdney
Date: 2014
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: hardcover
Source: library

Drawing.

Reading.

Building.

Painting.

These are things Nelly loves to do...but they're always better with Daddy Gnu!

With fun-to-read rhyme, a little silliness, and a lot of warmth, Anna Dewdney--the creator of the beloved llama llama books--tells the story of a daughter and her daddy and their wonderful day together.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

For those who don't know, Nelly Gnu is Llama Llama's friend. This picture book is done in the same style as the Llama Llama books, but focuses on Nelly and her relationship with her father.

After the family gets a new high chair and other baby furniture for Nelly's younger sibling, Daddy Gnu and Nelly turn the cardboard boxes into a little playhouse. When it's completed, Nelly thinks it needs something, so off they go to Home Depot (or some similar big-box store) to buy paint and brushes to decorate the playhouse. While they're there, Nelly ends up separated from Daddy Gnu, which is pretty scary. But it turns out that he's never far, and he manages to swoop in to save the day.

It's a fairly idealized look at the father-daughter relationship, which is fine if that's the case in the reader's life. I found this book a little difficult to read, though; those readers with more fractured relationships with their fathers probably aren't going to love this one. Daddy Gnu just comes across as a little too perfect: he knows how to do everything, he's protective, and he never makes a misstep. That may be how some children see their fathers, but it's by no means a universal experience.

The rhymes are cute and the pictures are nice, but I kind of felt like something was missing. Maybe it's just the fact that Llama Llama doesn't appear as a character in this one. Llamas are a lot cuter than gnus, for one thing. I'm also not sure we really get a good idea of Nelly's character here. (We've had plenty of time to get to know Llama Llama. Expecting the same level of knowledge about Nelly after just one book with her in a starring role is unrealistic, sure... but I still would've liked to see her personality developed a little bit more.)

If you like the bounce and rhythm of the Llama Llama books, you might enjoy this one, too. I don't think it's one of my favourite Anna Dewdney titles, though. Llamas > gnus. (Sorry, gnus!)

Premise: 3/5
Meter: 3/5
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.43 out of 5