Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-One day, while in the midst of a spat with his friend William, Bobby is told to "get on your bike and leave!" which he promptly does. As he travels through town, the little panda thinks about how angry he is, only pausing in his rant to decide which direction to turn. Slowly the many sights and sounds of the busy afternoon have a calming effect on him, until, finally, he comes to realize how needless the whole argument was, and heads back home. Although this is a lovely little story about this pair's argument and reconciliation, readers will likely find that their attention is drawn more to the prominent artwork. Each multimedia painting spreads out over two oversize pages, filling the vast majority of the space with anthropomorphized animals going about their daily lives. It can take a moment to spot Bobby in the busy scenes, even when he is dressed in a red hoodie. This works out fine though, because it pushes readers to take the time to absorb what we see, just like Bobby does. The pleasant designs, nicely balanced colors, and underlying texture have a similar relaxing effect. VERDICT For a calming read, and a nice story about conflict resolution, this all-ages book, with its charming paintings of town life, is a great pick.-Rachel Forbes, Oakville Public Library, Ont. © Copyright 2018. 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
In this Dutch import, after two friends--dog William and panda Bobby--have an argument, the former says, "Just get on your bike and leave!" Leave Bobby does: he rides around the animal-populated city, blowing off steam until he feels contrite. Like bicycling Bobby, the story meanders, but readers will enjoy the seek-and-find aspect as Bobby is practically Waldo-like in the bustling oversize spreads. (c) Copyright 2019. 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
This charming depiction of dealing with anger via exercise cleverly offers a participatory feature.When friends Bobby (a panda) and William (a brown, whiskered dog) have an argument, William tells Bobby to "Go on! Just get on your bike and leave!" Filled with anger, Bobby does. He rides through town and into the countryside, through other towns and by a canal. As each scene changes, he grouses resentfully about "buffle-brained," "pudding-headed" William and asks himself, "Where should I go now?" Of course, he ends up back at William's house, the anger gone, full of the sights he's seen and ready with plans to ride with his friend the next day. The illustrations of this somewhat oversized book bleed off the pages, giving readers an expansive sense of the northern European land- and cityscapes beyond their margins. They are busy, filled with clothed animal characters and other details. In this way they are reminiscent of Richard Scarry, but the loose outlines and splashy watercolors lend a tremendous sense of movement. Adding another element is finding the red-hoody-clad Bobby, la Where's Waldo, in each of the crowded views. The brief, fluidly translated text is set in a small box in the upper-left corner. This realistic, constructive portrayal of handling an emotional conflict will resonate with kids. (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
