Roly Poly Pangolin
by Anna Dewdney
Date: 2010
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: hardcover
Source: library
Roly Poly, very small, doesn't like new things at all.
Meet Roly Poly Pangolin: a little pangolin who'd rather stick close to his mama instead of facing anything unfamiliar. Whether it's a line of ants, a friendly monkey, or a loud noise, Roly Poly runs the other way. Then he hears something that really scares him. So he does what all pangolins do when they're frightened: he rolls up into a tiny ball. But Roly Poly is surprised when he finally peeks out, because another ball is peeking back... it's a small pangolin just like him!
Anna Dewdney has created another irresistible character to reassure children about the world around them.
(synopsis from Goodreads)
Anna Dewdney stepped away from Llama Llama for a moment to bring us Roly Poly Pangolin, a story about a nervous pangolin who doesn't like new things.
The story is okay, I guess. It's better than Scaredy Squirrel, in any case, when it comes to picture books about being afraid to try anything new. I found it a little repetitive in the beginning, but once the rhyming story really got going, it was a little better. The little bit of scientific information about pangolins at the back will also satisfy readers' curiosity about this strange little mammal; including this was a nice touch.
I think I know why there's only one book about this little pangolin, though. He must've been a nightmare to paint! All of those individual scales... This book must've taken ages for Dewdney to put together.
While it doesn't quite measure up to the Llama Llama books, it's still a decent picture book and young children will probably enjoy the bouncing rhythm and repetition (even if it drives their parents a little nuts).
Premise: 3/5
Meter: 4/5
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 3/5
Enjoyment: 3/5
Overall: 3.29 out of 5
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