Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Edmund Loom is an anthropomorphized ball of turquoise yarn with wanderlust. While his parents are always "reeling him in and rolling him back up," writes newcomer Kolb, they never try to quash his explorations. One day, Edmund rolls far away and encounters a (mostly) friendly world filled with new places and friends; even being chased by kittens is "part of the adventure." But Edmund eventually misses "familiar places and friendly faces," and when he feels the literal tug of family and friends, he's happy to return home-at least for a little while. Kolb has a bright, clean drawing style that will remind readers of their favorite contemporary animation, and his panoramas (sometimes stacked three to a page) make it fun to follow Edmund's travels and the trail of yarn he leaves in his wake. But while Kolb's first book is impressive for its visual playfulness and its astute take on child development, literal-minded readers may wonder why no matter how much Edmund unravels, he never seems to get any smaller. Ages 5-8. Agent: Laurie Abkemeier, DeFiore and Company. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Edmund is a young blue ball of yarn with an adventurous spirit. His explorations take him to many different places, but as he unravels into the world there is always that link that calls him home again-where the end of his ball of yarn is held. This is a gentle metaphor for the family ties that are always there regardless of where we might roam. Listeners will want to have the actual book (Penguin, 2015) in front of them as well, since the text is highly dependent on the illustrations. Richard Poe reads the very short picture book with a rich voice and a smile. VERDICT This nicely done production aptly captures the sweet, exuberant spirit of the book. ["Tightly woven with wordplay, this is a whimsical story of family ties": SLJ 2/15 review of the Penguin Nancy Paulsen book.]-Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary, Federal Way, WA © Copyright 2015. 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
Edmund, a ball of yarn, explores the world while safely tethered to his family and home. His parents encourage his "joy of discovery" but dislike reeling him back in (literally), which becomes more difficult as he grows. Illustrated with digitally altered pencil drawings bursting with gags and color, the funny metaphor about leaving the nest will tickle both children and caregivers. (c) Copyright 2015. 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
Edmund, a ball of teal yarn, explores the world but returns to his family. Edmund Loom is an adventuresome little ball of yarn. At first, he just bounces down the stairs to play with other balls of yarn, forcing hours of reeling him in and winding him back up on his parents. The older he gets, the bigger he gets, and his parents have more trouble pulling him back. Eventually, he travels the world, returning home when adventure palls and he becomes lonely. Pencils and pixels come together in sunny illustrations that bring this little round guy to life. His trailing tail, goofy smile, twirly "bangs," baseball cap and jaunty backpack will allow young readers to identify with him, even when he is sweaty and scared when (not-so-scary) cats chase him. They will smile with recognition when he meets "interesting people" in the shapes of bottles, toilet paper rolls, buttons and even a friendly pincushion. They will undoubtedly cheer when Edmund exhausts the possibilities of travel and rolls himself home to family and friendsand they may hope he finds a pal to roll around with on another journey. This long extended metaphor filled with laugh-worthy wordplay will comfort children and parents alike. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
