Day: March 1, 2011

I Must Have Bobo!: Silliness to Share

| Tasha

imusthavebobo

I Must Have Bobo! by Eileen Rosenthal, illustrated by Marc Rosenthal

When Willy wakes up, he can’t find his beloved sock monkey, Bobo.  Willy needs Bobo to get through his day.  But Earl the cat likes Bobo too.  Willy takes Bobo away from Earl and heads off to breakfast.  But whenever Willy is distracted or busy, Earl sneaks in and grabs Bobo, carrying him off.  Willy searches high and low for Bobo, finally realizing that it must be either pirates or Earl who has taken the toy.  The book ends with a cuddle between the three of them, curled up and happy together.  Or are they?

This book is silly and great fun. The ending has a gentle twist to it, that will delight young listeners.  It will work well with a group, since it has plenty of emotion to portray, lots of laughs, and a sharing theme that children can relate to easily.  The illustrations work well with the simple text.  They have a great warmth to them, thanks to the creamy background and the rough edges.  Additionally, the book has a timeless appeal, but remains modern as well.

Recommended for cat or toy story times, this book is a pleasure to read and share.  Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Also reviewed by

Blue Chameleon: Colorful Companionship

| Tasha

bluechameleon

Blue Chameleon by Emily Gravett

Gravett’s latest is a charmingly simple picture book that showcases her illustrations.  The featured character in the book is a chameleon who is feeling blue because he is lonely.  So he sets off to find a friend.  As he meets different objects and animals, his color changes to mimic theirs.  He turns yellow like the banana.  He turns pink like the cockatoo.  He even turns spotty like a ball and striped like a sock.  But he just can’t find a friend.  As he mopes gray on a rock and then disappears white against the page, he finally finds a friend who is just as colorful as he is.

Gravett has created a book about colors where the colors are a vital part of the story being told, making it very different than some picture books about colors that don’t read nearly as naturally.  Adding to the appeal is the emotive chameleon himself and his attempts at making friends.  Children will get the humor of the situation, love the moment he begins to show patterns, and also will relate to making friends.

Gravett’s illustrations and text work well together.  The bulk of the text is just the color and the object the chameleon is interacting with.  The chameleon also makes friendly comments to the potential friends, adding a welcome touch of more humor to the title.  The illustrations are bright, large and will work equally well with groups or reading to one child.

Highly recommended for any library’s colorful shelves, this book will be enjoyed by any preschooler or toddler.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Simon & Schuster.

Also reviewed by: