Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
An opening spread invites readers into this winning picture book's setting: a lush meadow where, as the pages turn, four friends-a bear, a raccoon, a bunny, and a brown-skinned child wearing orange boots-play a spirited round of hide and seek. Noakes (The Very Long Sleep) pitches the story to a preschool crowd with minimal phrases that invite children to look, point, and giggle: "Are you up here? Are you down here? Phew! I can smell you!" But the fun is in the tension between what the words say and the pictures show. The illustrations, layered with varied textures, fold in their own hide-and-seek game: a wolf, seen at first as a set of ominous gray ears, follows the oblivious friends, offering gently shivery suspense. (Spoiler: it just wants to join the fun.) The page turns are well paced, and Noakes adds further interest with intriguing perspectives, as in a spread that shows the friends in their reflections in water and in the story's bookend scenes, which follow the meadow as it shifts from foggy morning to glowing sunset. While this title may not break new ground, it's a study in how to design a beautiful book with a young child's sensibilities firmly in mind. Ages 2-6. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-In a lush meadow, a small girl plays hide-and-seek with a bear, a raccoon, and a rabbit. As she counts to 10, her animal friends scamper for cover among the abundant blooms. While the child searches for the creatures in the tall grass, peeks under a little bridge, and checks a hole in a tree, a wolf creeps closer and closer to the quartet, with seemingly nefarious intentions. Frustrated that everyone keeps moving around, the girl demands to take a turn at hiding. When the friends can't find her, they notice and accuse the wolf. All is well when the little scamp reveals herself hanging upside down from the tree. The final wordless spread shows five friends walking through the sunset meadow holding hands (and paws). Though told in short simple sentences, the narrative is enlivened by Noakes's expansive illustrations, featuring verdant landscapes, cuddly playful animals, and a spunky heroine. Readers will enjoy spotting the hidden animals even while the child fails to find them. VERDICT A delightful sunny tale with the mildest bit of suspense and a satisfying resolution, a welcome addition to most collections.-Yelena Voysey, formerly at Pickering Educational Library, Boston University © 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
A spunky little girl, whose black-and-orange striped shirt reflects her tiger-like bravery, plays hide-and-seek with a brown bear, a raccoon, and a sneaky rabbit. Young listeners will notice a wolf, unmentioned in the text, who joins the game to add a touch of tension. Mostly, though, they'll notice the joyful child playing across expansive sun-drenched spreads of wildflowers and open fields. (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 child and some animal friends play hide-and-seek in a vast meadow filled with wildflowers, where lurking danger becomes a new friend. The child rides on the back of a large brown bear; their raccoon and rabbit friends run in front, each on their two hind legs. When the child faces a tree and counts to 10 for hide-and-seek, the three animal friends sneak away; readers see the back of a wolf's head up close, sharing its view of the scene. When the child turns around, calling "Comingready or not," the wolf peeks at them from nearby, while the bear, raccoon, and rabbit hide far away. The child approaches the hiding friends: "I can hear you!"; "I can smell you!" The child just misses spying them each time, always unaware of the nearby wolf, whose face becomes increasingly menacing. Finally, in the sunflower patch, the child gives up and declares that it's their turn. When the bear, raccoon, and rabbit begin searching, they instead find the wolf, who looks meek when they ask where their friend is. Contrary to readers' expectations, the group of friends ends up gaining one instead of losing one. Depicting the sole human character with brown skin and free, kinky hair, the illustrations make impressive use of texture and varied perspectives to create depth in the environment. The soft color palette minimizes the potential scariness of the wolf throughout the suspenseful drama.A visual romp. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
