Review by Booklist Review
Lulu was a baby when Jupiter, a teddy bear, came into her life, and ever since she has loved him dearly. Each year brings more toys, so many that when she turns five, her crowd of noisy, sometimes rowdy toys are getting out of hand. Christmas precipitates a crisis of chaos, leading Lulu to rethink her situation and come up with a plan. Inviting her friends to the Great Toy Giveaway, Lulu passes out all her playthings except Jupiter. In her first picture book, Deedman takes a common problem to an extreme and offers a simple solution. Featuring firm black lines and an understated palette, the digitally rendered ink-and-watercolor illustrations create scenes with a certain innocent charm. Children will be captivated by the later pictures of all those toys individually good-natured little dolls and animals that become an overwhelming crowd cavorting about Lulu's room at bedtime. A good read-aloud choice, this picture book leaves children with something to think about as well.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Deedman's debut covers a familiar problem: the untidy flood of playthings in the child-centered household. "When Lulu was a baby, she was given a very special one-and-only toy," a teddy bear named Jupiter. Jupiter stays by Lulu's side as she grows, and he regards her piles of holiday gifts with a judgmental, thought-balloon "uh-oh!" By the time Lulu celebrates her fifth birthday, "her shelves were full. Her toy box wouldn't close." Dolls and stuffed animals crowd her breakfast table, bathtub, and bedroom, and Christmas only makes matters worse. Deedman uses ink, watercolor, and digital media to craft endearingly simple figures, and she combats clutter with a balance of strong and delicate colors. Lulu's pumpkin-hued hair, red tunic, and blue leggings, as well as Jupiter's ochre fur, stand out against pale backgrounds and heaps of possessions in muted taupe and putty gray. Lulu comes across as a reasonable child: "What are we going to do, Jupiter?" she wonders. "I can't play with everybody!" Her philanthropic solution, the Great Toy Giveaway, may not be embraced by every reader, yet it serves as a practical conversation-starter. Ages 4-6. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-This book addresses a common childhood dilemma-how many toys are too many? As a baby, Lulu receives a soft teddy bear named Jupiter. As the years go by, she continues to accumulate toys, but Jupiter remains her favorite. Lulu tries to include all her toys as she goes through her day, but the sheer number makes things hectic. In Lulu's bedroom, the toys climb up her shelves, skateboard across her floor, and take up most of the bed, leaving little room for her and Jupiter. Lulu quickly comes to the conclusion that she just has too many toys and comes up with a plan to deal with her problem. Detailed ink and watercolor illustrations depict crowds of playthings-almost exclusively dolls and stuffed animals-surrounding Lulu as she eats breakfast, watches TV, and takes a bath. It is strange that there are no parents to be seen at Christmas or birthday parties, but the fact that Lulu makes her own choice about what to do with her abundance of toys is refreshing, if a bit unrealistic. Though some kids will enjoy studying the detail in each of the illustrations, David Shannon's book by the same title (Scholastic, 2008) is a better choice. VERDICT An additional purchase for larger libraries.-Kimberly Tolson, Medfield Public Library, MA © 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
By the time she is five, Lulu is overwhelmed by the abundance of toys she has received on birthdays and holidays. Deciding to unload, she offers the toys to her friends in a "Great Toy Giveaway"--keeping only her beloved teddy bear. Digitally rendered ink and watercolor illustrations flatly portray the ever-growing stacks of toys, accompanying a smoothly economical, if improbable, plot. (c) Copyright 2016. 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
Little Lulu finds a creative way to clear out her huge collection of toys. Lulu has a favorite toy, a golden teddy bear she calls Jupiter, who has been her best friend since she was a baby. He is always by Lulu's side, playing with her and helping her. Lulu receives more and more toys as she gets older, and by Christmas when she is 5, she is inundated with far too many possessions. Her bedroom is wall-to-wall toys, and there is no longer any room for Jupiter in her bed. Lulu solves her own problem by putting together a "Great Toy Giveaway." She invites all her friends and gives all her toys away, except for her bear, the only toy she really needs. This calm, well-paced story shows the disadvantages of too much of a good thing as well as the importance of one special toy or friend with great meaning. In her first book, Deedman shows a strong sense of style with her children and toy characters. Her mixed-media illustrations have a 1920s-style flavor, and Lulu has the bobbed hair and simple, plaid dress of that era, though one of her toys is a robot. Lulu and her friends are all Caucasian, with the possible exception of a dark-skinned, curly-haired boy who attends her birthday party and comes to her sale. A polished debut for this British author/illustrator, who might invent more challenges for the newly minimalist Lulu. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
