Don’t Copy Me by Jonathan Allen

When Little Puffin heads off on a walk all by himself, he is followed by three little gulls who all copy him.  How annoying!  He tried to scare Small Gull, Tiny Gull and Baby Gull away, but they all just repeated what he said to one another.  Little Puffin tried shouting at them and that didn’t work either.  He sat down to think how he could end the game, and all three little gulls sat down too.  Little Puffin tried running and that didn’t work.  So he tried sitting very still so they would get bored.  You will have to try out the book to see whether that worked or not.

Allen is the author of I’m Not Cute! which charmed readers in 2005.  This book gives us a new lead character who is having a great day until he gets teased by the little gulls.  Allen’s writing maximizes the humor of the situation.  I particularly enjoyed the smallest gull and his baby-speak interpretations of what Little Puffin is saying.  Children will get this humor immediately, enjoying both the teasing and the eventual solution.

Allen’s art continues his use of cloud-like feathers and thick black lines.  The expressions are vivid and great fun, with the obvious frustration of Little Puffin growing and growing just as the satisfaction of the little gulls does. 

Grab this one for a bird-themed story time for toddlers!  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from library copy.