![]() Unfortunately, while most of the creatures from the seek-and-find appear in poses that match the illustrations in the challenge, not all of them are consistently represented. One page of backmatter offers a quick guide to eight easily confused pairs, and a second turns a subsequent exploration of the book into a seek-and-find of 15 creatures (and one dessert) hidden in the desert. As the story progresses, the colors of the sky shift from dawn to dusk, providing subtle, visual bookends for the narrative. Snappy back-and-forth paired with repetition and occasional rhyme enhances the story’s appeal as a read-aloud. Dark outlines around the characters make their shapes pop against the softly blended colors of the desert backgrounds. This picture book conveys the full narrative in spirited, speech-bubbled dialogue set on expressive illustrations of talking animals. As the ground squirrel (not to be mistaken for a chipmunk (even though Jack cheekily calls it “Chippie”) and Jack engage in playful discussion about animals, a sneaky coyote prowls after them through the Sonoran Desert. Jack is “no Flopsy, Mopsy, or Cottontail,” but a “H-A-R-E, hare!” Like sheep and goats, or turtles and tortoises, rabbits and hares may look similar, but hares are bigger, their fur changes color in the winter, and they are born with their eyes wide open. Claus are white.Ī hare and a ground squirrel banter about the differences between related animals that are often confused for one another. The elf characters include boys, girls, and adults all the elves and Santa and Mrs. Illustrations in a muted palette are similarly pleasant but predictable, with a greeting-card flavor that lacks originality. A saccharine conclusion notes that being little can sometimes be great and that “having a friend by your side makes anything possible.” The story is pleasant but predictable, with an improbably easy solution to Dot’s problem. This climactic flying leap into the sleigh is not adequately illustrated, as Dot is shown just starting to leap and then already in the sleigh. Only Dot notices one small present that’s fallen in the snow, and she successfully leaps into the departing sleigh with the gift. ![]() On Christmas Eve, Santa and the reindeer team take off with their overloaded sleigh. Her family members encourage her and help her practice her skills, and her mother tells her, “There’s always next year.” Dot’s elf friend, Oliver, encourages her and spends time playing with her, doing things that Dot can do well, such as building a snowman and chasing their friend Yeti (who looks like a fuzzy, white gumdrop). Is the mouse toying with Owl? Who knows?Ī funny tale about stress and an ever upping ante, with a comforting end.ĭot, the smallest reindeer at the North Pole, is too little to fly with the reindeer team on Christmas Eve, but she helps Santa in a different, unexpected way.ĭot is distressed because she can’t jump and fly like the other, bigger reindeer. Sometimes the mouse is behind Owl or just out of his sightline other times, the mouse is on a solid, orange-colored page across the spread from Owl, which removes him from Owl’s scene in a rather postmodern manner. In simple illustrations with black outlines, textured coloring, and foreshortened perspective, Pizzoli plays mischievously with mouse placement. Not until he hunkers down in bed under the night sky (his bed is now outdoors, because the house’s roof and walls are gone), frantically clutching his pillow, does he see what readers have seen all along: a small, gray mouse. As Owl’s actions ratchet up-he destroys the roof and smashes the walls, all in search of the squeak-so does his anxiety. Under the floor? He pulls up his floorboards. ![]() ![]() Is it in the cupboard? He empties the shelves. Time after time, he pops out of bed seeking the squeaker. Bidding himself goodnight, he climbs into bed-and hears the noise again. Owl’s never heard that sound before, so he fastens his pink bathrobe and answers the front door. “Squeek!” says something underneath the bed. ![]() Owl leans back against his white pillow and headboard. Something is preventing Owl from falling asleep. ![]()
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