Review - Who Done It?

Who Done It?
by Olivier Tallec
Date: 2014
Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

In this charming ebook, each page asks the reader a question about the lineup of characters featured on the spread. Sharp eyes and keen observation are necessary. There's only one right answer, and it's not always easy! Kids will love learning early concepts like expressions and positions as a natural consequence of their hunt for clues in the details of the lineup. Plus, this is a fixed-format version of the book, which looks nearly identical to the print version.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

With a title that will make grammar nerds flush in indignance, Who Done It? is a simple picture book that aims to teach kids about picking out details, facial expressions, and emotional intent. Does it work? Sort of.

If you view it in the simplest way possible, there is only one answer for each question, as the book claims. But some of the questions could be interpreted differently, resulting in multiple answers. (For example, one of the questions is, "Who couldn't hold it?" The obvious answer is the grinning creature standing in a yellow puddle. But what about the standoffish-looking girl who's holding a purse strategically over her pants? Another question asks, "Who is nervous?" Out of the ten characters, eight of them look like they could be nervous with their wide eyes and terrified expressions. Only one of them is trembling—they're the right answer, of course—but I wouldn't consider it wrong if a child said any of the other seven were nervous.)

I kind of wish that the "one right answer" thing had just been left out. Many of these questions have answers open to interpretation, and telling kids they're wrong when they might just have a more sophisticated and nuanced view seems counterproductive.

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

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 2.83 out of 5

Review - Crow & Snow

Crow & Snow
by Robert Broder
illustrated by Olivier Tallec
Date: 2020
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 48
Format: e-book
Source: library

This heartfelt and beautifully illustrated picture book follows the special friendship between a scarecrow and a snowman throughout the seasons.

Being a scarecrow can be lonely. Spending his day keeping birds away doesn’t leave Crow with many options for friends. Then one snowy day, the children on the farm build a snowman. Crow and Snow are fast friends and winter passes happily in each other’s company. Then Snow goes away. Crow misses his friend and thinks of Snow during the warm seasons until they can be reunited again. Being apart can be hard, but the very truest of friends never lose each other.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a simple story about a lonely scarecrow and an ephemeral snowman. Each year, the farmer's children build a snowman. Snow keeps Crow company through the winter. But with the arrival of spring, the two friends have to say goodbye. Snow always returns, though... until one year when the children are all grown up and don't build a snowman anymore. Is this the end of the friendship?

I get what the author and illustrator were trying to do here, and it's a nice book about friendship, but something's just not sitting quite right with me. Maybe it's Crow's wondering if he should tell Snow how he feels and the subsequent declaration of love. It almost feels a little too adult for a children's book, almost romantic, and while there's nothing wrong with a homosexual inter-object romance, the lead-up to that point had been about simple friendship.

Your interpretation may vary, of course. Overall, the story is fairly strong and the illustrations capture the passing of the seasons and the changes that come with that. It's not a bad book... but I'm not sure what kind of relationship Crow and Snow are supposed to have, and that ambiguity is kind of bothering me.

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

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.17 out of 5

Review - It's MY Tree

It's MY Tree
by Olivier Tallec
Date: 2020
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

A squirrel decides to keep everyone in the forest away from a favorite tree (It's MY tree?), but hasn't thought the plan all the way through!

The squirrel loves a particular tree (It's MY tree?) and is happiest eating pine cones in its shade (MY pine cones in the shade of MY tree?). But then the squirrel starts to worry. What if someone else decides it's THEIR tree? What if that someone wants to eat THEIR pine cones in the shade of THEIR tree? Should the squirrel build a gate in front of the tree to keep the others out? Or maybe a wall? Yes, a wall. The squirrel will build a long and high wall that no one can get over or around. Only, now that there's a wall, how can the squirrel know what's on the other side of it? Maybe a better tree is out there, full of pine cones. Maybe even a whole forest of better trees ...

World-renowned author-illustrator Olivier Tallec has created a simple, funny, relevant fable for the modern age. The humor and exaggeration ensure that even the youngest children will recognize the greed, xenophobia and fear of missing out afflicting the poor squirrel. With tones of bright orange and yellow, the captivating illustrations bring the enormous-tailed squirrel's rapid-fire range of emotions to vivid and hilarious life. This highly entertaining read-aloud would also make a perfect conversation starter for lessons on the importance of appreciating what one has.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I'd recommend taking a look at this one just for the illustrations. That squirrel is hilarious. As for the story... it lost me.

This squirrel has a tree and pinecones... and a bunch of worries. What if someone decides his tree is their tree? Maybe he should build a wall to keep others away. But... what if there's an even better tree with better pinecones on the other side of that wall?

I was with the story up until the end. I hoped that there would be some sort of lesson for the squirrel, but there doesn't seem to be (unless kids are supposed to read between the lines and deduce their own resolution and message). When the greedy squirrel climbs his wall to see what he's missing out on, he sees a forest full of worried-looking squirrels just like him and... that's the last page. So, did he learn anything? Or is he just going to start fights with every squirrel who dares to cross his path?

While the story might not have been for me, I'm kind of in love with the illustrations. The goofy, petrified-looking squirrel is a great main character, and I loved seeing his different facial expressions. The pictures are done in a fairly limited palette that incorporates a lot of oranges and yellows. The illustrations definitely work.

It's too bad I can't say the same for the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for providing a digital ARC.

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

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.83 out of 5

Review - How Selfish!

How Selfish!
by Clare Helen Welsh
illustrated by Olivier Tallec
Date: 2020
Publisher: words & pictures
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

The hilarious follow-up title to How Rude! which introduced us to the wonderful duo, Dot and Duck. They're back to share even more giggles in this sweet story about sharing, manners, and friendship.

One day Dot and Duck find a stick, only Dot thinks it's a sword and Duck thinks it's a flag. When Dot refuses to share the new toy, she goes to any lengths to make sure Duck doesn't try to take it. How will Duck react to such selfish behavior?

Simple, funny, and ultimately touching, this book will appeal to any child who is learning what it means to share and, more importantly, what it is to be a true friend.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This seems like it should work, but it fell a little flat for me. While it probably accurately shows young children's behaviour (selfishness, being grabby, only relenting with the threat of tattling), it's a bit grating. The selfishness goes on for a bit too long, and while the duo do eventually learn that it's not much fun to have all the toys when you're stuck playing by yourself, that message seems to come a little late. Dot and Duck have already modelled some pretty nasty behaviour for the first 20 pages of the book; I would've liked to see more emphasis on the resolution, since that's what's really important here.

The pictures are okay, but nothing special. If Duck didn't have that name, I wouldn't necessarily have known that's what he was (he actually reminds me a bit of Woodstock from the Peanuts comic strip, in that his beak looks more like some sort of fleshy nose).

Overall, I don't know if I'd recommend this one. It's okay, but it seems to dwell on the bad behaviour for a little too long.

Thank you to NetGalley and words & pictures for providing a digital ARC.

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

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.67 out of 5