Review by New York Times Review
Every mother of two remembers the moment she viewed her firstborn as a threat: couldn't this unpredictable elder child accidentally topple, drop or otherwise maim the newest addition to the family? Especially if he's like Spencer, an exuberant boy who gambols among an imagined menagerie in his expansive backyard jungle. Schaefer offers a fresh take on the "getting a new sibling" book, which doesn't introduce the enemy until the last pages. But those final spreads are so tenderly wrought they will bring tears to any hormonally challenged mother's eyes. Young readers still may not want Spencer's baby sibling, but they will definitely want his backyard. CHLOE Written and illustrated by Peter McCarty. 40 pp. Balzar & Bray/HarperCollins Publishers. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 2 to 6) Drawn in delicate pen-and-ink and watercolors, McCarty's impeccably cute creatures seem to hover magically in midair, like little balloons in some fantastical, vaguely Japanese idyll. In this story, middle-bunny Chloe (making a return appearance after "Henry in Love") is one of 21 sisters and brothers. And she loves it But one day, her father brings home an intruder: a brand-new television. Chloe doesn't love it. After this ode to imaginative piay among siblings, we can understand why Henry fell so deeply in love. CHLOE, INSTEAD Written and illustrated by Micah Player. 32pp. Chronicle Books. $15.99. (Picture book; ages 3 to 6) Chloe again! (To be expected - it's currently on the top 10 baby-name list) But here the Chloe is unwanted. Molly "was hoping for a little sister who was just like me." She got Chloe instead. Molly colors with crayons. Chloe eats them. Molly reads books. Chloe tears them up. This is an all too familiar tale. But Player's retro-modern illustrations, with their pop-art palette (he worked for Paul Frank industries as a designer), put this tale of sisterly rivalry an aesthetic notch above the rest The final image of the two sisters snuggling is pure parental delight. TALLULAH'S SOLO By Marilyn Singer. Illustrated by Alexander Böiger. 40 pp. Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8) Ballet book series generally introduce a boy to the corps by Volume 2 or 3, and a ruckus of some sort generally ensues. In this charming follow-up to 2011's "Tallulah's Tutu" the new boy happens to be a little brother. In a sweet twist, Tallulah is initially proud of Beckett. But when he spends class time sliding around in his ballet slippers and picking his nose, she is less than pleased. The competition between perfectionist big sister and rambunctious little brother will ring true to all readers familiar with the types. Both kids learn a lesson. MOOSHKA A Quilt Story. Written and illustrated by Julie Paschkis. 32pp. Peachtree. $16.95. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8) Mothers who quilt (they suddenly seem as common as mothers who blog) will adore this gorgeously illustrated story about Karla, a girl whose grandmother teaches her to appreciate quilting. Karla's homemade quilt, "Mooshka," helps her sleep at night, "telling" her stories about the various squares in her fabric. When Hannah and her crib move into the bedroom, Karla's initial reaction is: "Unfair. Stinky. My room." But Karla soon learns that Mooshka can comfort Hannah too. If only aU quilts stopped babies from crying. PAMELA PAUL ONLINE A slide show of this week's illustrated books at nytimes.com/books.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [May 13, 2012]
Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Chloe is the middle rabbit child, with 10 older brothers and sisters and 10 younger. One of the best things about so many siblings is family fun time. When Dad brings home a television set, all the siblings are delighted except for Chloe and baby Bridget, who are less enthused. Why watch a piece of pound cake attack a city onscreen when you could do something else like play inside the box the TV came in? And look what's inside the box: bubble wrap! Let the popping begin. While their parents continue to watch the killer pound cake, the brothers and sisters put on their own show inside the box until it's time for bed. The story line is simple, so hopefully children will get the message about making their own fun. But what elevates this is McCarty's fabulous art, which brings the idea of a really big family delightfully to life. Smooth, sand-colored pages are a fine background for the make-you-smile pictures. The family is a distinctive group, less rounded and shaded than some of McCarty's previous characters, and so impeccably drawn that you can see individual hairs on the bunnies' heads. Making great use of page spreads, he often allows the children to stretch across the available space, playing, popping, and practically passing out from fun. A warm and wonderful treat that's great for family story hours.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Chloe, the alluring grade-school bunny who charmed the hero of McCarty's Henry in Love, gets her own story in a companion book about the pleasures of family and bubble wrap. Chloe is her family's middle child, meaning she has "ten older brothers and sisters, and ten younger brothers and sisters." She looks forward to "family fun time" after supper, but when Chloe's father brings home a TV, and the family gathers around, Chloe protests, "This is the worst family fun time ever!" McCarty depends upon a simple premise-Chloe recaptures her family's attention with the cardboard TV box and the bubble wrap inside-and personalizes the tale with detail-obsessed drawings in rabbity-brown ink and watercolor. Each of the 23 bunnies is identifiable by size, gender, and outfit, from towering football player Billy (seen in Henry in Love) to brother Bobby in a T-shirt with a red star (subliminal message much?) and baby Bridget in an ears-to-toes onesie. Still bewitching (a shot of Chloe entrancing her siblings by popping bubble wrap is priceless), yet serious about her strong opinions, Chloe continues to stand out in a crowd. Ages 2-6. Agent: Gotham Group. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-Chloe is the middle child in her large rabbit family. Of the Bunnies' many shared activities, her favorite is after-dinner family fun time; however, when Dad brings home a television, she is sure that the fun has gone out of their shared time together. Her disappointment is short-lived. She and Baby Bridget soon find their own entertainment-the TV box and bubble wrap. Before long, the box becomes the best show with all the Bunny kids clamoring to get inside. After the youngsters are herded up to bed, even Dad can't resist popping a few bubbles. Soft, natural colors highlight the family resemblance while bright pastels accent each rabbit's individuality. Bunnies fill the pages, but an absence of background clutter keeps the illustrations simple and engaging. The gentle, child-friendly artwork complements the story told with minimal text. The result is a calming bedtime story for family sharing.-Carolyn Janssen, Public Lib. of Cincinnati & Hamilton County, OH (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Rabbit Chloe, the object of a classmates affection in Henry in Love, shines in her own book. "Chloe loved the end of the day, when her whole family was together. She called it family fun time." McCartys delicate, softly shaded illustrations reinforce Chloes feelings of contentment being the middle bunny of twenty-one. An especially sweet portrait puts her comfortably in the center -- literally -- with her parents and siblings circling dreamily around her. When a new television comes between her and her family, Chloe isnt happy about it. Some bubble wrap ("Pop! Bop! Bip! Bip! Pap!"), a cardboard box, and determination help Chloe lure her siblings away from the set and into her imaginative play. In a cheeky twist, its her parents who are glued to the screen: "Can you please be quiet? Dad said. Were trying to listen to the show." Twenty-one bunnies playing in a TV box cant be quiet, so an irritated Dad sends everyone up to bed. McCartys pastel-hued illustrations on cream-colored pages are mesmerizing; each of the twenty-three blocky rabbit characters has a distinctive look, and its easy to find Chloe in the crowd. The anti-TV message provides a strong signal (even a certain bunny father may have gotten the picture by the end), but its Chloes quiet confidence that comes through without any static. kitty flynn (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Who wouldn't want to put on a monster show in a big, cardboard box or pop bubble wrap at rapid-fire speed? After a new television ruins "family fun time," Chloe, the middle bunny in a brood of 21, tries to pull her brothers and sisters from its glowing grip. Colored-ink drawings hover on lush, creamy paper, offering delightfully dreamy details: the bunnies' fur, pert mouths and dewy eyes, their clothes' stripes and patterns, their bodies clustered together around the house. On one dizzying double-page spread, Chloe levitates at the epicenter of the domestic swirl, her family circling swiftly around her. McCarty says simply and directly to middle children everywhere, "Chloe was in the middle." The narrative maintains perfect pacing throughout, speeding up with long sentences and slowing down with abbreviated lines that allow readers to linger on the soft, mesmerizing artwork (so many bunnies!). A bustling dinner scene shows the family nibbling on every kind of spring veggie; readers' eyes roam from one end of the table to the other and back again, studying each whiskered face and plate. Fashion (eyeglasses, dresses, shirts) and minute tweaks in expression individualize each rabbit, while Chloe always manages to shine. McCarty captures the tensile ties strung among siblings, parents, genders and ages in every household. Beautifully benign illustrations conjure powerful familial feelings. (Picture book. 3-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
