Review by New York Times Review
Dreamy marshmallows, rude animals, a portal to a mirror world: These gorgeous books expand minds. I CAN ONLY DRAW WORMS Written and illustrated by Will Mabbitt. Maybe Mabbitt can't draw many things, but boy, can he conceive and execute a witty, surprising, maximum fun picture book. Oh, and this one doubles as a counting exercise. Having announced that worms are his entire repertoire, Mabbitt proceeds to wrangle 10 neon-bright ones onto the pages, with hilarious difficulty. They're so hard to tell apart. And poor worm No. 8: "It's not true that if a worm is cut in half it makes two worms," we learn. "It makes two half worms." 32 pp. Penguin. $14.99. (Ages 3 to 5) THE SUN SHINES EVERYWHERE Written by Mary Ann Hoberman. Illustrated by Luciano Lozano. If you're as picky about rhyming picture books as I am, you'll be excited that the former children's poet laureate Hoberman, whose meter never falters, has created this clever ode to the sun and its globe-spanning, life-giving power. With Lozano's cheerful art, the pages fly by, dropping tidbits of geoscience and empathy-building name-checks of far-off places: "Some children live in Paris / And others live in Rome. / Some children dwell in New Rochelle / And some call China home." (But why no mention of Africans?) 32 pp. Little, Brown. $17.99. (Ages 3 to 7) MOST MARSHMALLOWS Written and illustrated by Rowboat Watkins. Can marshmallows be exquisite? That's the word that leaps to mind for this new picture book from Watkins ("Rude Cakes," "Big Bunny"), which is full of irresistible handmade figures and precisely detailed diorama art. With their delicately penciled-on faces and outfits, the marshmallows in this world are everyday folks: "They go to school most mornings / and learn to be squishy / and how to stand in rows," and they live in houses and celebrate birthdays. Like all Watkins's books, this one has wonderfully compact language and an ending that surprises, with a rousing, wholehearted imaginative leap. It turns out even humble marshmallows can - and should - dream big. 40 pp. Chronicle. $16.99. (Ages 3 to 7) ANOTHER Written and illustrated by Christian Robinson. Robinson's first book as both author and illustrator is a gentle, wordless wonder that follows a little girl and her cat after they find a portal into another world. There, children and pets encounter mirror versions of themselves - wearing different-colored clothes, so you can tell which is which. Robinson's geometric precision combines with his flatout adorable collaged characters to make for a unique kind of enchantment. You'll find yourself rotating the book to try to put the story's sophisticated puzzle together. 32 pp. Atheneum. $17.99. (Ages 3 to 8) A STORY THAT GROWS Written and illustrated by Gilles Bachelet. This nifty bedtime book from the esteemed French illustrator Bachelet has a parent-child pair of creatures on every spread. Each kid is in a species-specific crib, ready to hear a story that takes off in an appropriate direction: The ostrich's story "hatches," the snail's story "takes ... its ... time." The creatures, who include a truck and a Martian, are not named - this book asks for, and will reward, intense visual reading from young listeners, as they pore over the gorgeous, kooky bedrooms, filled with hilarious customized beds and toys. 32 pp. Eerdmans. $16. (Ages 3 to 7) OINK Written and illustrated by David Elliot. Elliot's funny story is told in animal sounds and onomatopoeia ("Mooo!" and "Boing!"). One by one, unruly animals join a pig in his bathtub. Pig looks distraught, then angry, until he creates a tub-clearing moment (think unidentified bubbles) and enjoys his bath in peace. The delicacy and subtlety of the art only adds to the frisky humor. 32 pp. Gecko. $16.99. (Ages 3 to 7) THE LITTLE GUYS Written and illustrated by Vera Brosgol. The little acorn-capped creatures in Brosgol's ("Leave Me Alone!") latest gem think they're "the strongest guys in the whole forest" - there are so many of them, after all. Marching and climbing together, they try to dominate bigger animals. As they try to yank a berry from a baby bird's mouth, they crash to earth. Chastened, they climb back up to feed the whole nest. What a fantastic message: not just "teamwork," but actual community. 40 pp. Roaring Brook. $17.99. A GREEN PLACE TO BE The Creation of Central Park Written and illustrated by Ashley Benham Yazdani. This delightful slice of history shows the hard work and careful planning that went into one of the world's great outdoor public spaces, New York City's "vibrant jewel." Yazdani's mesmerizing watercolor and pencil art teems with fascinating details as it makes the park's past and present seem unified, driving home the importance of creating and preserving "quiet green spots in a fast-changing world." 40 pp. Candlewick. $17.99. (Ages 7 to 10) MARIA RUSSO is the children's books editor at the Book Review.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [July 11, 2019]
Review by Booklist Review
Ironically, Watkins (Big Bunny, 2018) sidesteps saccharine sentimentality by casting his newest offering entirely with marshmallows. Simple text just a few words per page gently walks readers through typical young marshmallows' daily lives. Most of these confectionery stand-ins for human children go to school, watch TV, are forced to eat their veggies, and so on. But, as the recurring most foreshadows, some dare to use their imaginations and know that anything is possible. This familiar, empowering message is lifted to new heights by Watkins' extraordinary illustrations, in which he builds scenes from marshmallows, construction paper, cake sprinkles, acorn tops, and more. The result is splendid and smile-inducing. The marshmallows themselves sport pencil detailing, cute accessories, and wide-eyed, youthful expressions. The scenes grow more fantastic and dreamlike as the concept of imagination enters the story, giving way to impressive seas, a circus of high-flying treats, and a fire-breathing dragon. All told, this sweet book will delight and offer young readers a charmingly offbeat reflection of their own experiences.--Julia Smith Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Marshmallows, with their uniform appearance and soft outlines, make fine stand-ins for average citizens. Watkins (Big Bunny) draws black hair on their heads, gives them big eyes that blink and stare, and in constructed mixed-media sets, supplies them with winsome furnishings, books, and food made of cardboard, construction paper, fabric, and sprinkles. "Most marshmallows don't grow on trees," the text begins. "They go to school... [marshmallow pupils peer from a school bus as more wait on the sidewalk, wee knapsacks on their backs] and learn to be squishy and how to stand in rows." Crucially, though, some marshmallows resist conformity. They "somehow secretly know that all marshmallows can do anything": perform in circuses, explore outer space, move beyond what they are told is possible. Following one's dreams is an idea well worth celebrating, and so is appreciating a world's details. Close-ups of this marshmallow universe-the lawn flamingo, the infant mallows growing out of acorn cups, the solemn classroom diagrams of how to recover after being squished-will draw readers back for another look. Ages 3-5. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-This book forgoes a narrative arc in favor of celebrating the lives of children with simple and familiar sentiments. "They celebrate birthdays. They watch TV. They go to school most mornings." The twist is that marshmallows stand in for the children. This is mostly conveyed through detailed found-object tableaus and occasionally in the text. "Most marshmallows don't grow on trees or come from storks or even Mars. Most marshmallows are mostly born to one sweet parent or two." Each phrase is illustrated with a photographed intricate collage of marshmallows placed in scenes and interacting with found and created objects that reinforce the text. The scenes consist of marshmallows, construction paper, cake sprinkles, cardboard, acorn tops, twist ties, pencil, and "whatever else was needed." There's lots to talk about and look for in the images. While adults will respond better than children to the message ("But some marshmallows somehow secretly know that all marshmallows can do anything or be anything they dare to imagine."), everyone will enjoy the sweet images. VERDICT An engaging, quirky read-aloud perfect to share with crafts and maker programs.-Amelia Jenkins, Juneau Public Library, AK © Copyright 2019. 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
Most marshmallows don't grow on trees / or come from storks / or even Mars." An even-tempered narrative describes marshmallows' everyday existence ("They celebrate birthdays. / They watch TV," etc.), which sounds uncannily like that of humans. The illustrations are hand-built scenes employing marshmallows, cardboard, and everyday objects, which support the book's irreproachable message that beauty can exist in oddity. (c) Copyright 2021. 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
A confection of marshmallows harbors quixotic dreams of greatness."Most marshmallows don't grow on trees," starts this understated story. With quiet humor, the text informs children that, like them, "Most marshmallows are mostly born to one sweet parent or two," and that "They go to school most mornings / and learn to be squishy and how to stand in rows." Most marshmallows seem to navigate with equanimity the realities and dramas of domestic life, like a bursting backpack or a dinner tantrum. "But some marshmallows somehow secretly know / that all marshmallows / can do anything / or be anything / they dare to imagine." The inventive, sly, mixed-media illustrations provide wit and delight only hinted at by the spare, idiosyncratic prose. A mixture of paper collage, photographs of objects (like a cardboard dinner table loaded with plastic carrots), and hilariously expressive line drawings on real marshmallows pack beauty, tension, and drama into each page. An unnecessary throughline involving dragons slightly mars the overall feel of the story, especially the jarring ending in which a marshmallow knight breathes fire at one; the humor and kid appeal work perfectly without that bit of pandering.An amusing, subdued story with exemplary illustrations, this sweet flight of fancy will find a young audience eager to devour it. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
