Review by Booklist Review
This comical story tells of one young baboon girl who craves a little space and solitude, both of which are hard to find as one of many hamadryas baboons who, according to an author's note at the end, live on the shores of the Red Sea in loud, large, and loving families called troops. Little Leyla is always being fussed over and groomed by her mother, father, 9 aunts, and 23 cousins. Unable to escape the attention and constant noise, she runs off by herself and encounters a wise-looking lizard who tells her that he's busy doing nothing. The lizard teaches Leyla how to sit quietly and clear her mind. Adult readers will understand that this is a lesson on meditation, and youngsters will learn that, even if they're the quiet one in a boisterous group, a little downtime can do wonders. Hand-painted textures applied to digital art make the illustrations pop in this funny and wisdom-filled book.--Connie Fletcher Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Bernstein (I Am a Cat) offers another taut and snappy animal story illustrated with correspondingly spare yet emotive pictures. Inspired by the author's observation of hamadryas baboons, who live in boisterous, close-knit troops, the book introduces a young monkey who has two parents, nine aunts, and 23 cousins, a tally Leyla deems "too many!" Feeling suffocated by her relatives' incessant hugging and kissing ("Yuck!") and their insistence on grooming her ("She's not even dirty!"), Leyla runs away to a quiet spot inhabited by a sole, placid lizard. The lizard is "very busy doing nothing" and teaches the baboon how to do the same. When she realizes that she misses her family, Leyla takes leave of her new friend, who says that she can "come back and do nothing" anytime ("I'm always around"). Thrilled to see her, the clan listens to Leyla's dramatic account of her adventure, and she gains a new appreciation for their kisses and cuddles. Bernstein's digital and hand-textured art features comically fluctuating facial expressions amid loose lines and earth tones and effectively fuses cartoon and realistic sensibilities. A warm and witty celebration of family, individuality, and introspection. Ages 4-8. Agent: Anne Moore Armstrong, the Bright Agency. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Leyla's large baboon family is "always busy, always fussy, always noisy." Overwhelmed, she runs away, stopping only when she hurts herself on some sharp rocks. A nearby lizard isn't interested in making Leyla feel better; he's too busy doing nothing, which is just what young Leyla needs. After a short but effective meditation lesson, Leyla returns home to her family and their loving ministrations. Reflecting both the anxiety perpetuated by our culture's busyness and a toddler's developmental need for independence, Bernstein's spare narrative and adorable muted earth tone palette offer a warm and familiar story. Pair with Jacob Grant's Through with the Zoo for some good old Venn diagram comparisons, or with Molly Bang's When Sophie Gets Angry to talk about using space and silence for self-care. VERDICT A recommended read-aloud for storytime or one-on-one sharing.-Lisa Lehmuller, Paul Cuffee Maritime Charter School, Providence © 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 Kirkus Book Review
Leyla, an anthropomorphized hamadryas baboon, lives in a giant, loving, and boisterous family. Sometimes she just wants to find a bit of quiet!When her noisy relations become too much to bear, Leyla runs away to find her own space. In doing so, she makes the acquaintance of a very still and quiet lizard, who teaches Leyla the art of doing nothing. Together, they sit, feeling the sun, listening to the wind, and letting their minds be free of thought. When Leyla returns to her family, she is better able to appreciate their vociferous affection. At the surface level, this is a lovely story of cross-species friendship, of finding peace by connecting mindfully to the present moment, and of distance making the heart grow fonder. How unfortunate, then, that the author chose to deliver this story through the use of anthropomorphic baboons when historically in the United States, images of this type have been used to denigrate African-American families, and stereotypes that still cause harm, such as black families being "too" large or "too" loud, show up in the text. Regardless of the author's intention, the pain this title could cause black families must be noted. To her credit, Bernstein's imagery is playful, sweet, and well-researched, and her inspiration for the use of the baboons after seeing them in the Prospect Park Zoo is explained in a brief author's note.A wonderful concept mired in an execution that comes with far too much baggage for comfort. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
