Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A girl with a blonde bob haircut describes life with her pet mammoth, Woolly, in this gentle tale from Belgian author-illustrator Grébin. Physical comedy drives the story, usually driven by Woolly's enormous presence: out on a walk, Woolly (dutifully wearing his leash) peers down at an elderly woman taking her dog out. "He loves riding in the car," the girl explains on the next page. "It helps to have a convertible." The Mini-style vehicle tilts with the effort it takes for Woolly to climb in through the open roof, and most of his body remains outside the car as they take off down the road. Grébin's images are traced in delicate pencil and colored in pale but rich shades of paint-the girl and mammoth are the focus of every spread, whether they are wearing matching pink tutus in ballet class or testing the load-bearing capacity of her bike. The closing revelation that Woolly is a stuffed toy ("Some people might not think he's real...") only goes to show how large a presence, sometimes literally, a treasured stuffed pal can have in a child's imaginative life. Ages 4-7. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Belgian artist Gréban uses an imaginary woolly mammoth to visit the trials and joys of an oversize pet. A small blonde child narrates the pair's daily tasks and special activities like ballet class and a fair. Despite poor spaghetti management, Woolly's assets include that he is already toilet trained and is not afraid of monsters as long as he's in the top bunk. The witty and engaging paintings capture each absurdity, adorning the simple text with spirit. Woolly totes grocery bags and the girl with his tusks, and uses hair curlers during grooming. VERDICT This gambol's only drawback is that it has numerous forerunners. An appealing but nonessential addition.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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