Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Debut creators Plourde and Fassler summon the feel of summer's languor as they take readers to a car, seemingly abandoned and open to the air, parked in a semideserted strip-mall parking lot near a hotel called The Sea. Lolling and blowing bubbles in the back seat are two pale-skinned kids feeling summer's heat ("We are microwave molten goo"). Though "we know all corners of The Sea.../ we've never been to the beach," and for entertainment, they scatter French fries splattered with ketchup and sauce around the vehicle and watch a "tangle" of gulls appear ("One thousand, TWO THOUSAND wings!"). The cloudless sky turns to psychedelic hues as the kids imagine the blue-winged birds hoisting the car over the strip mall signage ("We are weightless./ We are Deals! Deals! Deals!") to the ocean, where the occupants splash with abandon. Both the language and the expressively textured drawings, rendered in digitally finished pencil, crayon, and graphite, strive for poetic heights. Though the result is occasionally more perplexing than transportive, it's a wild and wonderful seasonal tribute to the way that children, left to their own devices during a long summer's day, can be immensely creative. Ages 4--8. Author's agent: Jen Newens, Martin Literary. (June)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1--3--Through rhyming text, Plourde weaves a tale of two young brothers and their imaginative day. The boys relax in an abandoned car in a town with little to do and go on imagination-fueled adventures. The french fries they've purchased for the garbage gulls are spread on the ground, drizzled with ketchup, and the boys wait for the gulls to arrive. When the birds arrive, it is a feeding frenzy, and they seem to carry the car into the sky and above the treetops to The Sea. The brothers shed their socks and shoes to play in The Sea. When the afternoon is gone, the boys get back in the car and travel back to their town. The artwork is rendered with pencil crayons and graphite; the color scheme is infused with orange tones, lending warmth and happiness to the work. Overall, this work is a celebration of imagination, showcases independence in non-screen entertainment, and is a great glimpse of siblings on an adventure, without the bickering. The siblings appear white, and both have reddish hair in different textures; straight versus a curly mulletlike style. VERDICT While this is not a necessary purchase, it buoys shelves dedicated to the imagination and shows another side of summer vacation that requires no money and no adults to be a success.--Sarah Sieg
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Two kids tempt gulls in a contemplative exploration of a hot summer day. Hiding from the sun in an abandoned car in a parking lot next to the Sea Hotel, two youngsters hatch a plan. Contending with boredom on an endless day and the sticky heat, they decide to surround the car with French fries to attract sea gulls. They "salt The Sea" with littered fries and spread globs of strategically placed ketchup ("The garbage gulls can be picky," after all). Then they wait, quietly listening for impending wings. "A few crunched bags summon squawks," and suddenly the air is filled with gulls. "Our constellation of crumbs gathers beasts of the streets." The flapping cacophony suddenly lifts the car and takes it to the beach! The Sea Hotel becomes the sea itself, and the youngsters' imaginations take flight. With curved edges and rusted orange tones, Fassler's art melts in the heat, while Plourde's languid text both lulls and delights. The book is a dazzling debut for this author/illustrator duo. While the wonderfully surreal tale may perplex very young or more literal-minded readers (although they may be most in need of its charms), it's a beautiful meditation that slips the audience directly into one sticky, summer moment in time. Both kids present white. Lyrical, absurd, and full of wonder. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
