A multilayered, modern-day parable reminding readers there’s no greater gift than the present.
A car trip to visit Grandma on her birthday feels like “an eternity.” What happens when you just get too bored?
Most parents on a car trip have heard the titular question, but in Caldecott medalist Santat’s hands, the familiar trip becomes an unforgettable romp through time and space. As the moment of absolute boredom reaches “forever,” a clever twist forces readers to turn the book upside down and read “backward,” time also going backward. The family car travels back to the Wild West, the days of Blackbeard, medieval Europe, and ancient Egypt. As the parents grow increasingly anxious (jousting was not part of their plan), the oblivious kid in the back continues to whine, finally noticing the moment the car is in when it reaches the age of the dinosaurs. In another literal turn of the book, time now flies by too quickly. The family and other fellow time travelers—met in moments of boredom—hurtle through time into the future, arriving at Grandma’s address only to find her home is no longer there, and they have missed the party. But not to worry, it is only the mind playing tricks. Employing both comic-book–style panels and full-bleed spreads, the mixed-media illustrations are full of humor, and the changes in point of view keep the telling dynamic and engaging. Mom is white, Dad slightly darker-skinned, and the party guests (when they finally arrive) are thrillingly diverse if mostly a bit long in the tooth.
A multilayered, modern-day parable reminding readers there’s no greater gift than the present. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 12, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-316-19999-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2016
It's evident some things run in the family for the legendary Punxsutawney Phil's niece Phyllis. The little groundhog only needs one sniff of the morning air to realize something’s amiss the day of the Spring Treasure Hunt. Though it is the first of April, Phyllis earnestly warns everyone of the impending blizzard. Her cries fall on deaf ears as the suspicious rodents turn pranksters. Phil Junior sticks his paws in ice to replicate winter’s grueling chill, and Pete throws confetti in the air to resemble snowflakes. Poor Phyllis initially believes their pranks. Without heeding the young forecaster’s warnings, the groundhogs begin the hunt, with dramatic riddles showcasing each clue. When the celebration dissolves into a wintry mess, Phyllis both solves the mystery and guides her group home through the blustery wind. References to the "treasure" repeatedly shine in the home’s interior. Warm acrylics, saturated in rich golden tones and creamy tans, offer a cozy look into this furry family’s den. Layered strokes enhance the textured fur of each stocky animal. Funny details abound: A glimpse of The Woodchuck Weekly newspaper reads: “Shadows! Why do they scare us?” An author’s note describes international April Fool traditions, though there’s no source notes provided. No fooling—here's a lighthearted romp that highlights an often overlooked holiday. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-8234-2270-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2011
The writer and director of the wonderful Pixar animated short attached to Toy Story 3 shows here why he should stick to films. For this print version he uses stills for illustrations and has kept the general plot—Night and Day (rendered as retro, Shmoo-like silhouettes filled with changing sunlit or moonlit scenes that look 3D in the movie but not here) meet, fight, play, bond at dusk and part friends. He has, however, flattened the age appeal by discarding all of the original’s earthier scenes (no ogling of beach babes, for instance, nor even Day’s early-morning pee) and replaced its soundtrack of lively music and sound effects leading up to a few seconds of Wayne Dyer on embracing the mysterious (a clear statement of the episode’s real theme in a nutshell) with trite, superfluous lines like, “And then something magical began to happen…” and, “Now there is something new in me because of you.” Bland, studiously inoffensive and robbed of most of its filmic progenitor’s artistry and humor. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-8118-7664-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2010
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