Review by New York Times Review
In emotionally direct prose and watercolors full of tiny, charming details, Bagley ("Boats for Papa") turns two of the forest's less charismatic creatures into heart-stealing stars. Zelda, a hedgehog, looks forlorn as she tells Aaron, an anteater, he can't come along to her family's new house. But before the move they spend an afternoon playing and having ice cream cones - his miles-long tongue makes an astonishing appearance - creating a reassuring balance between happy, funny and sad. THE GIRL WITH THE PARROT ON HER HEAD Written and illustrated by Daisy Hirst. 40 pp. Candlewick. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 3 to 6) Hirst's original debut walks a wonderful line between fanciful and realistic, with loose, buoyant art and an offbeat story that finds a child's innermost truth. Isabel, a girl who happens to have a parrot on her head, responds to the loss of her friend Simon (one day he "went away in a truck, and he never came back") by hating everything. Then she takes to sorting her stuff into boxes. But there's a big, scary wolf who won't fit anywhere - so a new friend, Chester, helps her send him packing, too. BEN SAYS GOODBYE By Sarah Ellis. Illustrated by Kim La Fave. 32 pp. Pajama Press. $16.95. (Picture book; ages 3 to 6) When Peter moves away, Ben does not want to say goodbye, or do much of anything. He decides to move too - under the table, to become a cave boy. There he grunts instead of talking and draws stories about two friends on the "walls." When he's ready to come out, a potential new friend is settling in at Peter's house. Ellis's simple story catches the rhythms of moving and of grieving, while La Fave's black crayon-like lines and minimal faces register the oversize worries a little guy can carry around. A PIECE OF HOME By Jeri Watts. Illustrated by Hyewon Yum. 32 pp. Candlewick. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 5 to 8) Little is as earthshaking as the experience of starting over in not just a new house, but a new country. Hee Jun's family moves from Korea to West Virginia for his father's job. He can't stand being so different from his classmates. English words "feel like stones, heavy in my mouth." But gradually the strange becomes familiar, and a new friend's kindness eases his homesickness. Watts's elegant story and Yum's soft, radiant art combine to make the book wrenching, hopeful and lovely in equal measure. LIFE WITHOUT NICO By Andrea Maturana. Illustrated by Francisco Javier Olea. 36 pp. Kids Can Press. $16.95. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8) "After Nico leaves, a hole appears in Maia's life," begins this astute, sensitive tale of friendship and separation, made all the more resonant by Olea's adorably moody art. With Maia's best friend gone, the emptiness she feels lasts for a while. But new things creep into her life: a kitten, another friend, the chance to learn piano. They talk on the phone. When Nico comes back - the move was temporary - she worries it won't be the same, but she learns that "there are some things time cannot change." ONLINE An expanded visual presentation of this week's column at nytimes.com/books.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [June 19, 2016]
Review by Booklist Review
Zelda the hedgehog is sad to be moving far away from her best friend, Aaron the anteater, and suggests they spend their remaining time indulging in their favorite activities. Once she gets to her new home, Zelda discovers that Aaron has stuffed her suitcase full of drawings and notes documenting their many good times and she uses these items to decorate her cozy new room. While the text, formed by Zelda's brief narrative comments, is minimal, it successfully conveys the range of emotions inherent in moving and in leaving a friend behind. The pen-and-watercolor illustrations, awash in soft greens and browns, show an inviting and reassuring environment. In addition, the joy and delight Aaron and Zelda feel when having fun together are readily apparent in their facial expressions and body language (Aaron uses his long anteater tongue in several mischievous ways), as are the more somber moments where they deal with the move. Sweet and upbeat, this is a testament to the endurance of friendship.--Enos, Randall Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Zelda, a tiny hedgehog, is best friends with Aaron, a much bigger anteater. Now Zelda is moving, and her mother says that Aaron "can't come with us"-although Zelda makes a valiant effort to pack him. So in the time they have left, Zelda and Aaron decide to play together "like nothing is changing." Their games are wonderfully old-fashioned: tetherball, rowing in a boat, talking to each other via tin-can telephone. Bagley (Boats for Papa) lays bare Zelda's uncertainties in a remarkably intimate first-person narrative: "I'm scared to go. But you say it will be okay, and you'll see me soon. But I'm not so sure." While the mood is mostly melancholy, the subtly textured watercolors and expressiveness of these two friends should persuade readers that this connection won't fade with distance. More reassurance comes from the visual playfulness Bagley incorporates throughout the book, starting on the title page, when readers see the friends fishing from a bridge: Zelda has a conventional pole and line, while Aaron uses his very, very long tongue. Ages 3-7. Agent: Alexandra Penfold, Upstart Crow Literary. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Zelda, a hedgehog, and Aaron, an anteater, are the best of friends. When Zelda finds out her family is moving, she and her pal decide to play "one last time like nothing is changing." They swing, seesaw, go out in a rowboat, etc. The hedgehog family make their move, and when Zelda unpacks her suitcase, she finds it filled with pictures of all the friends' favorite outings and numerous notes from Aaron. Zelda thinks, "You seem so far away, and then I unpack-and there you are!" The last page pictures Zelda writing back to Aaron, and readers know that although separated, the friends will stay connected. This is a sweet if slight story, best shared one-on-one. The pen and watercolor illustrations are filled with homey details that children will enjoy, and enhance the poignant tone of the story, particularly the picture of large Aaron trying to pack himself in Zelda's tiny suitcase. VERDICT A sweet and tender moving story that makes a fine addition to most collections.-Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ © Copyright 2016. 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 Kirkus Book Review
Before her family moves, Zelda cherishes time with her best friend, Aaron. Zelda, an anthropomorphic hedgehog, must say goodbye to both the home she knows and Aaron, her inseparable anteater pal. Boxes and beloved paraphernalia litter rooms, as Zelda comes to terms with the movefirst trying (unsuccessfully) to pack Aaron, then defiantly stating she's not going. But as Zelda realizes the move is inevitable, the friends decide: "...let's play! / One last time, / like nothing is changing." Ink-and-watercolor illustrations done in an earthy palette create a warm and gentle world for the two besties to relive their happiest times chasing, swinging, canoeing, and tin-can-phoning each other (Zelda in their treehouse, Aaron in their fort) in a bittersweet montage of perfect moments. These memories, along with letters from Aaron, help Zelda adjust to her new home as she realizes, even miles apart, the two still have each other. As in Boats for Papa (2015), Bagley is able to condense a heartfelt (or heart-wrenching) moment into a few spare words while portraying it with an earnestness that respects both characters and readers. A reassuring and needed addition to the bookshelf on moving. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
