Tom’s Tweet by Jill Esbaum, illustrated by Dan Santat
Tom the cat is on the hunt after a storm when he spots a baby bird on the ground. But the Tweet is so little and scrawny that it won’t amount to much, so Tom turns away. But the little bird looks so helpless and alone, that Tom decides to help despite his misgivings. Tom heads up the tree to return the Tweet to its nest, carrying it in his mouth. But then the mother bird sees him and she attacks! Tom has to flee with the Tweet. After that, he has to figure out how to give it a home. And (gulp) feed it too. Tom finally finds a way to get the Tweet back to its nest, but he can’t get it out of his head. What is a cat to do when he misses a bird?!
Esbaum’s rhymes romp along, and they work well for the most part. The rhythm is even better, galloping along and creating a brisk pace for the story. The infectious rhythm makes reading the book aloud great fun. In fact, I think it reads aloud better than it reads silently. The story is filled with humor, from Tom’s expressions of “tarnation” and “dadburn it” to the scene where he feeds the little Tweet.
Santat’s illustrations are what take this book to another level. While the story is funny on its own, it becomes wildly silly with his art. With its computer smooth feel, it looks as if it was taken right off of a Pixar movie screen. Children will respond naturally to the style and then enjoy it even more thanks to the humor embedded in it.
Very funny, this picture book will be enjoyed by children looking for a silly read with plenty of heart. Appropriate for ages 4-7.
Reviewed from copy received from Alfred A. Knopf.
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