Review by Booklist Review
Naughty or nice? Well, truth is, most kids are a little of both. This picture book wrestles with the whole angel/demon-on-the-shoulder bit in an interesting way. There's Matilda, an oh-so-innocent-looking white cat in hair bows and polka dots. Then there's Hans, a naughty little cat dressed like a bandit in black. While Matilda reads a book, Hans causes a ruckus with garbage can lids; while Matilda sweeps the floor, Hans paints red dots all over a house. Then one night, in the ultimate act of defiance, Hans steals the zookeeper's keys and lets all the animals loose ( Oh, dear! ), and before long, there's a one thousand dollar bounty on his head. Turns out Matilda knows exactly where to find Hans . . . because, when she puts on a hat, mask, and whiskers, she is Hans. (Can she have the reward now, please?) Yokococo's graphic, textured images are full of charm, and the contrasting light and dark illustrations reinforce the good versus bad theme nicely. Kids will enjoy the surprise ending and may recognize the yin and the yang inside themselves.--Kelley, Ann Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Boldly outlined, naif-style illustrations are paired with mysterious mischief in this entry from Japanese artist Yokococo. Matilda is a sweet-faced gray cat who reads quietly at home, while the masked and whiskered Hans plays pranks at night. Are the two friends? Brother and sister? "One night Hans climbed the gates of the zoo... took the keys... and set all the animals free!" A giddy spread shows the results of Hans's prank: a pair of flamingoes try on shoes at the shoe store, a kangaroo and her joey relax on a park bench, and a group of the zoo's water creatures commune in the municipal fountain. Meanwhile, Matilda watches it all from her window, her huge, expressive eyes wide. Alert readers will notice that Matilda is only seen during the day, while Hans plays tricks at night; a $1,000 reward poster convinces clever Matilda to turn in "Hans" so she can collect the prize. It's a sly junior mystery with some sparkling moments, but those expecting Matilda might learn her lesson will be disappointed-she plans to go right on being naughty. Ages 3-6. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-This strongly visual tale begins with a graffiti wall: "Catch me if you can!" and a paw-print tag. Angelic cat Matilda's perfection contrasts with masked cat Hans, who is loud and pulls stunts like releasing zoo animals. Matilda sees the $1,000 reward sign and sets Hans up for capture. The surprise climax is witty, and not to be ruined here. Yokococo uses large, spare mixed-media and watercolor cartoon scenes in black, gray, and white to enhance Hans's character, differing brilliantly with bright colors for zoo mayhem. The whimsy continues with simple figures, rounded lines, and visual quips like monkeys snacking atop the awning of a fruit store. Story and illustrations are a perfect marriage to be celebrated by many readers.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA (c) Copyright 2013. 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
An omniscient narrator insists that cat Matilda, pictured in upbeat daytime scenes, and cat Hans, depicted exclusively at night, are "SO different!"; readers will see that troublemaking Hans is really "well behaved" Matilda in a black mask. After Matilda tells the police when and where Hans will strike next, a surprising plot twist invites reflection. Bold graphic illustrations humorously capture the split personae. (c) Copyright 2013. 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
First published in the U.K. in 2012 as Hans and Matilda, this quirky import combines minimal text, an odd twist and charmingly childlike pictures to create a brief (a)morality tale. Matilda, an anthropomorphic cream-colored cat dressed in a red-and-white polka-dot dress leads a blameless, if somewhat boring, life. Hans, meanwhile, is also cream-colored, though he sports black whiskers. Unlike Matilda, Hans lives to misbehave. While Matilda spends her days reading, gardening and tidying, Hans plays tricks and commits vandalism. When Matilda sees a wanted poster promising a big reward, she decides to turn Hans in. Whether she earns the reward is not revealed, but her behavior and Hans' certainly change as a result of her decision. Yokococo uses short, simple sentences to convey the action. Her mixed-mediaand-watercolor illustrations have clean lines and appear to mirror the simplicity of the text. Closer examination, however, reveals that not only have a limited palette and matte paper been used for Hans' adventures, but Matilda's more colorful scenes appear to have been created on textured paper. This difference effectively prevents readers from predicting the plot twist while also emphasizing the cozy feel of Matilda's environment. Sophistication of illustrations aside, it is essentially a one-joke tale that will leave readers and listeners wondering what the point is--if any--yet still isn't likely to stir up much real interest. (Picture book. 3-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
