Review by Booklist Review
Is a book something worth fighting over? This jaunty tale of rivalry, possessiveness, cooperation, and friendship gives a hearty Absolutely! to this question. It centers on one green book that two creatures, hairy Redd and bunny-like Bloo, each claims as his own. Redd, who is reading the green book at the story's beginning, refuses to part with it when Bloo asserts the book actually belongs to him. A heated argument ensues, giving Bookworm the chance to snatch the book and slither away with it to her cozy reading hole. Now, Redd and Bloo join forces to recover the book, devising a crafty plan to tempt Bookworm back out of her hole. Plain white backgrounds help young readers stay focused, and the simple digital illustrations explode with color and action. Supported by Redd and Bloo's cartoonish expressions and gestures, the story is delivered solely in cartoon-bubble dialogue, which moves from antagonism to cooperation to friendship and sharing. This comedic tug-of-war also conveys the value of books, along with some insight into how books are made.--Fletcher, Connie Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Bloo, a blue rabbit (drawn by Long), catches Redd, a shaggy red monster (drawn by Foster), reading Bloo's book. A barrage of accusations and denials ensues, but readers will surmise that Redd is indeed trying to pull a fast one on Bloo. Their tussling gives a third character, Bookworm, the opportunity to swipe the book for herself. Now united, Bloo and Red cook up a plot to trap Bookworm by creating a decoy book ("The illustrations will make her eyes explode!" says Bloo), which turns out to be as much fun as reading. The crisp animation-style cartooning, punctuated with photographic objects, has a freewheeling verve that lifts the story beyond an exercise in gainsaying. But what makes it truly touching is the love that Boo, Redd, and Earthworm have for the book-not just as a transporter of imaginations but as a physical object. As the larcenous Redd notes: "I cannot part with my green book. It has a hard cover, a nice spine, the pages turn from right to left... and, if you are adventurous, from left to right." Ages 3-5. Agent: Paul Rodeen, Rodeen Literary Management. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Bloo and Redd simply love their book. It has everything-a green cover, a nice spine, and pages that turn from right to left (or left to right if you're adventurous.) But what they can't agree upon is who owns it! When their favorite book ends up snatched by a bookworm, Bloo and Redd must work together to write their own book to get it back. Playing with the "meta-picture book" subgenre, Long and Foster have added a funny and fresh story with several teachable moments. On the surface it's a simple tale about sharing and the joy of reading, but with Redd describing the different components of a book, and the two then using that information to create their own volume, this is a wonderful teaching tool for either a creative writing or an introductory language arts lesson. The two characters play off of each other well, and the large dialogue balloons matched with the cartoonish character design with no background scenery will please the many fans of "Elephant and Piggie." VERDICT Not to be missed-give me this book!-Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI © Copyright 2017. 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
This picture-book collaboration is many things: a buddy story; a humorous clash between two bibliophiles; even a sneaky introduction to the parts of a book. But its mostly about teamwork--although the two cartoony protagonists, Redd (a furry, bespectacled monster) and Bloo (a buck-toothed, egg-shaped bunny with a scribble-scrabble tail) must learn this lesson the hard way. From the jump, Bloo snarls, Hey, wait a second, Redd. Thats MY book. Redd is certain that Bloo must be mistaken, and proceeds to describe in detail what makes the book so distinctive: a hard cover, a nice spineletters on each page and they are gathered together to form wordsand every now and again there is something called an illustration. Each point sends Bloo spiraling (Mine has all of those things!), until a particular bent page identifies Bloo as the rightful owner. A tug-of-war erupts, only to be interrupted by Bookworm, who swipes the volume and heads back to her hidey-hole; to get it back, Redd and Bloo hatch a bait-and-switch scheme that necessitates working together. Redd and Bloo are distinctly illustrated, and each receives a unique (handwritten) font. The addition of photographed real-world items (such as markers, scissors, and construction paper) provides a refreshing visual pop in the nearly all-white backdrop. A natural companion to Anna Kang and Christopher Weyants equally quarrelsome Thats (Not) Mine, and perhaps best read aloud with a pal. patrick gall (c) Copyright 2017. 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.
