Review by Booklist Review
As she did in If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School, Don't! (2015), wispy-haired Magnolia explores an absurd scenario to comedic effect, specifically the ramifications of dragging an upright piano to the beach. Directly addressing the reader, the text reads like step-by-step instructions, the first being how to get the piano oceanside. A double-page spread divided into three long panels illustrates this grueling task, noting that it will make your arms feel heavy (spotlight on Magnolia head-butting the piano along) and your legs feel draggy (now she's slumped on the ground). From there things get more and more out of control think seagulls and, well, lots of water. Each page turn brings new laughs as the situation escalates, before Parsley reins things in with a wonderful, and practical, discovery: a seashell. The illustrations' summery hues are perfect for a day at the beach, and Magnolia's unbridled facial expressions can't help but entertain. This hilarious cautionary tale will make a refreshing addition to summer story hours.--Smith, Julia Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Magnolia, the star of Parsley's If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School, Don't!, and her multiracial family are beach-bound, and Magnolia insists on bringing the family piano. Before long, the piano has smooshed their lunch, gotten covered in seagull droppings, and floated off into the water. A situation this off-kilter requires a solution to match-fishing pole to the rescue!-and even that leads to more surprises. Magnolia's wiser-than-thou narration and Parsley's energetic illustrations are in perfect comic sync, though no words are needed for a misanthropically hilarious scene of Magnolia and her piano being attacked by hungry seagulls. Ages 4-8. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-There's nothing like a day at the seashore. The gifts offered up by the restless ocean are always magical and stimulating-who knows what might be dreamt up and built. Of course, getting to the beach can often be a wearing process, and in this amusing story, a young girl decides that she must take her piano on her family's outing. Magnolia will not be deterred by the instrument's size or inappropriateness; she will bring it, and her busy mother finally consents by demanding that she "better not lose it!" Although initially this seems a far-fetched possibility, before long that is exactly what happens. How the piano ends up drifting out to sea and how Magnolia finally discovers the pleasure of finding shells make for a charming and hilarious story. Parsley highlights the joy, determination, and unreasonableness of young children and how parents can capitulate to the demands of their kids in order to achieve peace and provide them with a special experience. Her strong lines and bright colors are perfect for a book about the beach, but it is her expressive faces that will captivate readers. With just a few lines, Parsley conveys the many emotions of childhood, from excitement to frustration to contentment to dismay. VERDICT This humorous selection about willful and exuberant Magnolia is perfect for storytime or one-on-one sharing, especially when preparing for a trip to the beach.-Sally James, South Hillsborough Elementary School, CA © 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
The voice of experience (about alligators at school) this time deals with her inability to leave her beloved piano at home while visiting the beach. Using her gift of hindsight, Magnolia clarifies for readers that "if your mom says to get ready to play at the beach, she means with a boat, or a Frisbee, or a shovel. / She is not talking about the piano." Nonetheless, her mom doesn't forbid it; she just tells her not to lose it. Once the piano is at the beach (a feat in and of itself) and it's been tested to make sure it still works, Magnolia's account quickly become reminiscent of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, one thing leading to another. Her lunch break attracts some gulls, the gulls poop, and therefore it's time for a bath. (!) And the scallop shell she comes home with? It makes a great boat, a solid Frisbee, and a nifty shovel, but it ain't a piano. Magnolia's voice is wonderfully childlike, describing how "your legs will get draggy" while pushing the piano to the beach, but her facial expressions top all, perfectly capturing both her exuberance and her mood swings. In the digital illustrations, Magnolia could be Asian (or maybe Latina); her mother and little brother are white, and she has a black baby sister. A delightful demonstration of just one of many things not to take to the beach; the brainstorming possibilities are endless. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
