Review by Booklist Review
Here's an unabashedly silly book that doubles as an introduction to the ever-popular booby (bird) and a cute primer for romantic relationships. In "the land of boobies," the red-footed boobies live on one rock, and the blue-footed boobies live on another. As a rule, the two antagonistic groups keep apart, until one day a red-footed lady and a blue-footed fella, both engrossed in their books, bump into each other, leading them to look, for once, not at each other's differently colored feet but into each other's sparkling eyes. They then, absurdly and wonderfully, go through their booby mating rituals: dancing, bowing, whistling, a gift of sticks. The book introduces the term couple, and despite their families' objections, the two are wed. When their offspring arrives, the two disparate groups finally put aside their silly differences. Weyant's cartoonish boobies are weirdly alluring with their large eyes and goofy expressions, while Dyckman uses her trademark humor to make a solid point about finding common ground. Booby back matter adds a nice informative touch. Cue the storytime chaos!
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The red-footed boobies live on one island, the blue-footed boobies on another, and each population likes to taunt the other with cheers of "BEST! PPPBHT!" But when two bibliophile birds engrossed in their reading accidentally crash into each other on the landscape's third island, "They looked. Not at each other's feet. They looked into each other's eyes." The meet-cute seems poised for unnecessary judgment, but the couple can't resist each other's goofy charms and love of reading. Weyant (Hudson and Tallulah Take Sides) depicts their deepening attraction, expressed in silly courtship dances and rituals, with affectionate ink and watercolor cartoons. Determined not to be star-crossed, the feathered Romeo and Juliet are married by a hermit crab--the officiant is ordained, Dyckman (Don't Blow Your Top!) notes, "thanks to a certificate he got on the internet." When their egg produces a purple-footed fluffball, hearts on the opposing communities promptly melt, bringing an end to the Sneetch-like rift. True love prevails and unites in this booby-centered telling, which hints that one needn't be a grown-up to savor the pleasures of a well-told rom-com. More about the seabirds concludes. Ages up to 7. Author's agent: Scott Treimel, Scott Treimel NY. Illustrator's agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Sept.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
Boobies are birds that live along the coasts of the Eastern Pacific. In this book, the red-footed boobies live on one rock in the sea; the blue-footed boobies live on a rock across the way. The groups vie for dominance and taunt each other (shouting "BEST!" and blowing raspberries), frustrating the hermit crab that lives on the rock between them. A Shakespearean drama unfolds when a blue-footed booby and a red-footed booby meet and fall in love. Ink and watercolor cartoon illustrations with heavy lines contrast with gently shaded colors, creating a sense of character and whimsy while also depicting realistic flourishes such as accurate booby courtship behaviors. Plentiful white space focuses the eye and presents opportunities for oversize text in expressive type to bring the words and art together. The text is a mix of straightforward and comical, with asides to make adults smile, as when readers learn that the hermit crab can perform the lovers' wedding ceremony "thanks to a certificate he got on the internet." As is the case in many families nursing an ancient grudge, the emergence of a baby makes everyone reconsider their antagonistic positions. "And finally, all the boobies actually agreed!" Back matter provides facts about boobies. Humorous lessons on life and animal behavior make this a memorable offering. Adrienne L. PettinelliSeptember/October 2024 p.48 (c) Copyright 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 Romeo and Juliet story in bird form. The red-footed boobies live on one rock, while the blue-footed boobies live on another, separated by water. Never the twain shall meet. (A wise old hermit crab who says, "Boobies are silly!" lives on a rock between them.) All is calm until the day a pair of boobies--a young female with red feet and a young male with blue feet--come into contact, realize that they have a lot in common, and fall in love. The pair's families oppose the match, but the hermit crab performs a marriage ceremony anyway, and soon a chick is born--with purple feet. Both the red- and blue-footed boobies claim ownership, but the parents overrule them all and start a new home with the hermit crab on the in-between rock. Is there anything new here? Not really. The illustrations reinforce gender norms (the female has red feet, the male blue; the female is depicted with long eyelashes), and we've seen different versions of this story before. Still, it's a solid, enjoyable tale about overcoming fear and accepting and celebrating differences, with the likable, goofy boobies making for a fun addition. Weyant's simple cartoons use plenty of white space. A note includes information on the real birds. A peppy but predictable lesson in combating prejudice.(PIcture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
