Review - Ray

Ray
by Marianna Coppo
Date: 2020
Publisher: Tundra Books (NY)
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

A humorous picture book about the adventures of a light bulb who embarks on an enlightening journey, from the acclaimed author-illustrator of Petra.

At the end of the hall, near the staircase, is a closet. In that closet lives Ray, who is a light bulb. Ray spends most of his time in darkness, which is pretty boring if you don't know how to fill it. So boring that Ray usually slips into a dreamless sleep . . .

Everything changes one day when Ray is migrated into a portable lantern and taken on the trip of a lifetime. He wakes up in a much larger closet (the outside), surrounded by incredible things - too many to count! Everything is super big, and Ray has never felt so small. And in the morning, Ray makes an incredible discovery which will change his life forever.

Meet Ray, a charming new character from the imaginative mind of Marianna Coppo, the creator of Petra!

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I'm not quite sure what to make of this. It's a book about a lightbulb that has an adventure. How do you even begin to process that?

Ray lives in the closet. He's been in other places in the house, too, like the living room (which was good) and the bathroom (which was a little less pleasant). Now he's in the closet, which is pretty boring. He counts all the things in there with him, and watches things change a little in the outside world, but mostly, he just hangs there. One day, though, his people unscrew him and take him on a camping trip. He sees more things than he can count, and in the morning, he has a spiritual awakening of sorts.

If you can get past the question of why someone would take the incandescent lightbulb from the hall closet on a camping trip, then the rest of the story is kind of charming. Ray is a sympathetic character; I think a lot of us can relate (especially right now) to the feeling of being cooped-up and bored. The illustrations are simple, but effective.

Overall, this is kind of cute. Anthropomorphized lightbulbs. Now I've seen it all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Books (NY) for providing a digital ARC.

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

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.17 out of 5

Review - Such a Good Boy

Such a Good Boy
by Marianna Coppo
Date: 2020
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 48
Format: e-book
Source: library

The ultimate kids' book about dogs, being good, being bad, and being yourself!

From the award-winning, critically acclaimed author of Petra.

Meet Buzz the dog.

He's such a good boy.

Buzz seems to have a perfect life .. .

and a lot of very well-behaved friends.

Buzz would never dream of being anything other than good.

Right, Buzz?
Buzz . . . ?

For anyone who has ever felt pressure to be "good" at the expense of their own self-expression, and for anyone who has ever owned and loved a dog, this beautifully illustrated picture book from author-illustrator Marianna Coppo will have you laughing, smiling, and longing for your own unfettered frolic in the park.

• With charming art and a positive message, this is an ideal read-aloud book for parents and children to share.
• For dog lovers, pet lovers, and any kid who knows how hard it is to be good all the time
• Marianna Coppo's first book, Petra, was a Good Reads Choice Awards Picture Book Finalist and received starred reviews from Publisher's Weekly and Kirkus.

For dog-loving children and fans of such picture books as Gaston, Harry the Dirty Dog, Antoinette, and Naughty Mabel.

For any child who struggles to be "good" and understands the fun (and frustration) of being "bad."

• Picture books for kids ages 5–8
• Dog books for kids
• Books about acceptance, self-confidence, and being yourself

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Aside from the dog reminding me of the one my family had when I was growing up, there's not much about this book I really loved. It's basically just a weak story about an over-fluffed pooch who wants to run wild, dig holes, and eat poop. He gets his chance when he's left at the groomer... and escapes. But then he realizes his people are looking for him. (I might've liked this one better had the ending not been so ambiguous.)

I can't quite tell if this is taking a swipe at people who pamper their dogs, or if it's just a simple story about a dog doing what dogs do. The text really is from a dog's point of view, making the humans into the bad guys because they won't let the dog be... well, a dog. (I don't really care if it's natural, though; eating poop is gross.)

The illustrations are simple, but cute. Kids will probably enjoy them. I just wish they accompanied something with a bit more substance.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 2/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.5 out of 5