Review by Booklist Review
The concept of organizing numbers into a sequence is cleverly embedded in this debut picture book about a boy, his collection of stuffed animals, and a ladder that reaches up to the sky like Jack's beanstalk. Once a mysterious ladder appears in little Kevin's room, the questions among the awed stuffed animals are: Who goes first? Who goes last? And who goes second and third to last? Fox was the first to see the ladder, so he thinks he's entitled to go first. The hobby horse calls caboose. Kevin enters and grabs the first position, climbing the ladder that keeps extending, so high that a stork carrying a baby bunny appears. But a dreadful surprise awaits Kevin at the top: a gigantic mouse, easily three times his size. Now Kevin is first to call for help--and first to celebrate his stuffed animal friends' arrival. The digital-media artwork gives a cartoony feel that's just right for this zany take on competitiveness, with subtle lessons in sequencing.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2--Tahboub takes on one of the most important lessons for little ones, the value of taking turns, while learning about the power of other roles, such as being second or the caboose. An adorable fox and gorilla found the ladder first, but Kevin wants to climb it first. The dynamic illustrations have so much energy and verve, they will capture children's attention and invite them deeper into the story as every animal makes the case for the spot they want in line. Children will love discussing the different roles selected by Kevin's friends and thinking about Kevin's experiences after he is the first one up; is he a leader taking risks, or did he get a delicious donut up there? Plenty of white space and clear text will push emerging readers through the plot to its very funny and very just end. VERDICT This book offers much food for thought in how we work together and take turns in different roles.--Darby Wallace
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A group of friends learns the importance of taking turns to be first. A light-skinned boy named Kevin and his animal friends stumble upon a mysterious ladder. Although Fox was the first to spot the ladder, Kevin announces that he will be the first to climb it. Most of the animals don't argue, but Fox and Gorilla whisper between themselves that they wanted to be first and reflect on other situations in which Kevin went first without considering the wishes of his friends. As Kevin climbs the ladder, he even gloats by saying, "Winners go first," but as he climbs uncomfortably high, he soon realizes that going first has its drawbacks. When he reaches the top of the ladder, a huge Mouse greets him, and Kevin quickly encourages his friends to join him so that they can help balance out the seesaw Mouse wants to ride; Kevin boards the seesaw second, letting his friends go first. There's no true central tension and the plot's a little thin, but nevertheless the story successfully underscores the importance of being thoughtful and treating your friends as equals. The artwork is sparse but cute and engaging, with some of the story being played out wordlessly in the illustrations. A low-stakes lesson in courtesy and in being a good friend. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
