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ENTRY TYPE: new
WORK TITLE: LOST THINGS
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://careysookocheff.com/
CITY: Toronto
STATE:
COUNTRY: Canada
NATIONALITY: Canadian
LAST VOLUME:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; daughter of a librarian; married; children: two.
EDUCATION:Carleton University, B.A.; graduated from Ontario College of Art and Design.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Illustrator and writer. Illustrator, worked for more than twenty years; Sheridan College, Oakville, Ontario, Canada, part-time instructor in illustration.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Carey Sookocheff is an illustrator and writer of children’s picture books. After completing her studies in the Illustration Department at the Ontario College of Art and Design, she worked as an illustrator for more than two decades. Sookocheff collaborated with writer Maureen Fergus to illustrate their “Buddy and Earl” series of picture books. Sookocheff has illustrated books by other authors and eventually began writing and illustrating her own books for children.
Buddy and Earl is the start of the titular picture book series. Buddy is a dog and gets bored one rainy day. He receives a package with a small prickly thing inside that introduces himself as Earl. Buddy has no idea what Earl, a hedgehog, is and so asks him. Earl admits to being a race car, but Buddy knows that isn’t true. Earl gives a few more suggestions as to what he is before suggesting that Buddy might be a skyscraper because he is comparatively tall. The two become good friends while playing pretend together. Booklist contributor Sarah Hunter commented that “the sneaky lesson in deductive reasoning makes this frolicsome, read-aloud-friendly picture book truly outstanding.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor mentioned that “Fergus’ deadpan text and Sookocheff’s simple, flowing artwork work in elemental harmony.”
In the second book in the series, Buddy and Earl Go Exploring, Earl gets bored of running on his exercise wheel because the scenery doesn’t ever change. So he decides to imagine things, like Buddy’s water bowl being a moonlit lake. They explore the house together, imaging monsters and being rewarded with Buddy’s clumsiness around the kitchen trash can. A Kirkus Reviews contributor admitted that “life is good for Buddy and Earl in this aerobic exercise of the imagination.”
With Buddy and Earl and the Great Big Baby, the two are excited to learn that a baby will be visiting the house. However, when the baby arrives, it turns into a nightmare. It even eats their food. When the baby escapes from its playpen, Earl and Buddy go looking for it. They find it after it has dropped several things into the toilet. Writing in Horn Book, Martha V. Parravano lauded that “this series just keeps getting better and better: we’ll all look forward to our next visit with Buddy and Earl.”
In Buddy and Earl Go to School, the two are told they will go to school. Both are excited because they understand that a good education opens many doors in life. When their owner leaves, though, Earl declares himself to be the teacher and awards Buddy with an exceptional student award. A Kirkus Reviews contributor insisted that “readers will enjoy their time with these two: another satisfying friendship adventure.”
With Buddy and Earl Meet the Neighbors, Buddy and Earl are busy pretending to be Wonder Buddy and Super Earl when Earl gets the idea to take their crime fighting out onto the streets. They go to the villains lair (the next-door yard) and meet Mister the bulldog and Snowflake the cat. When Snowflake slips, Buddy and Earl rescue her. Reviewing the book in School Library Journal, Barbara Auerbach noted that “this fun story celebrates friendship and the power of imaginative play.”
Sookocheff wrote her first book in 2016 with the publication of Solutions for Cold Feet and Other Little Problems. The book’s narrator, a young girl who has a difficult puppy, shares a little bit about their complicated relationship. While she loves the puppy, it causes her all sorts of problems, such as running off with her shoes, eating her ice cream, or causing her to get wet. However, she admits that there are far more benefits of having a dog than not. Writing in School Library Journal, Gay Lynn Van Vleck claimed that the book would be “perfect for writing and drawing prompts and playful imagining.” A contributor to Publishers Weekly opined that “dog lovers of all ages will easily identify with these scenarios, recognizing them as inherent to canine companionship.”
With Wet, a young boy shares all the ways he can think of to get wet. Sookocheff visually matches the narrator’s wild imagination, from swimming pools and puddles at the playground to crying and dog tongues. A Kirkus Reviews contributor stated: “An intriguing approach to exploring a familiar natural phenomenon, this will appeal to thoughtful young listeners.”
In Susan Hughes’s What Happens Next, a young narrator complains that she is being bullied and nobody does anything to help her. She finds happiness in the small things in life and gets some good advice after sharing her problems with her mother. Writing in School Library Journal, Amanda C. Buschmann found it to be “a powerful reminder to children that … we have enormous commonalities that bind us.”
Sookocheff illustrated Annika Dunklee’s Sprout, Seed, Sprout! in 2019. The picture book follows the life stages of a seed into an avocado tree. A child and pet cat work together to ensure that the avocado seed gets the necessary attention to sprout using a repeating patterns of three to explain the steps. Just when the child is ready to give up after waiting for so long, the seed sprouts. A Kirkus Reviews contributor pointed out that “this quiet book effectively describes the meditative, sometimes-frustrating process that growing a plant entails.”
The picture book I Do Not Like Stories is a book with an anti-book narrative. The grouchy narrator dislikes all different types of stories and complains across each page. It isn’t until the end that the narrator admits they would probably like a story about their cat. A Kirkus Reviews contributor observed that “comic-book-style panels divide the action while the muted, blue-dominated palette and simple lines of the illustrations match the downcast tone of the story.”
In the picture book Lost Things, Sookocheff shows a range of things that get lost over the course of the book. It starts with an acorn that is dropped when a squirrel is chased by a dog. Dog breaks away from its leach, the dog’s owner then loses the ribbon in their hair, which is picked up by a bird making its nest. The connection of lost things continues to be linked, giving the book forward momentum and showing that lost items can even be repurposed or eventually returned or found. A Kirkus Reviews contributor observed that “everyone and everything is intertwined, underscoring the book’s subtle message that we are all important to one another’s story.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, August 1, 2015, Sarah Hunter, review of Buddy and Earl, p. 71.
Children’s Bookwatch, August 1, 2018, review of What Happens Next.
Horn Book, September 1, 2016, Martha V. Parravano, review of Buddy and Earl and the Great Big Baby; July 1, 2017, Nell Beram, review of Wet.
Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 2015, review of Buddy and Earl; December 1, 2015, review of Buddy and Earl Go Exploring; April 15, 2017, review of Wet; June 1, 2017, review of Buddy and Earl Go to School; May 1, 2018, review of Buddy and Earl Meet the Neighbors; February 1, 2019, review of Sprout, Seed, Sprout!; June 1, 2020, review of I Do Not Like Stories; September 1, 2021, review of Lost Things.
Publishers Weekly, August 29, 2016, review of Solutions for Cold Feet and Other Little Problems, p. 90; November 24, 2021, review of Lost Things, p. 31.
Resource Links, October 1, 2016, Tanya Boudreau, review of Buddy and Earl and the Great Big Baby, p. 5.
School Library Journal, October 1, 2016, Gay Lynn Van Vleck, review of Solutions for Cold Feet and Other Little Problems, p. 86; February 1, 2018, Amanda C. Buschmann, review of What Happens Next; June 1, 2018, Barbara Auerbach, review of Buddy and Earl Meet the Neighbors, p. 63; September 1, 2020, Mary Lanni, review of I Do Not Like Stories, p. 68.
ONLINE
Canadian Children’s Book Week website, https://bookweek.ca/ (April 19, 2022), author interview.
Carey Sookocheff website, http://careysookocheff.com (April 19, 2022).
Open Book, https://open-book.ca/ (March 9, 2018), “Author & Illustrator Team Susan Hughes & Carey Sookocheff on the Ups and Downs of Publishing;” (August 7, 2018), “Artist & Author Carey Sookocheff on the Journey Through an Illustration Project.”
Hello! Growing up with a mom who was a librarian and a father who was an avid storyteller, I have always loved to read and create stories. I also grew up loving to draw, often on scrap paper from my dad's office but also occasionally on the underside of the kitchen table.
I have earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Carleton University, graduated from the Illustration Department at the Ontario College of Art and Design, and have been an illustrator for over twenty years. My early career was in editorial illustration working on assignments for a variety of publications including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. My work earned recognition from the Society of Illustrators, Communication Arts, American Illustration, as well as a National Magazine Award.
I now spend my time writing and illustrating picture books as well as teaching part time in the Bachelor of Illustration program at Sheridan College. Although I grew up on the Canadian prairies, I now live in Toronto, with my family and our dog Rosie.
I can be reached by email at
info@careysookocheff.com
Biography
Author-Illustrator Carey Sookocheff was born in Ottawa, but spent her childhood throughout the prairies, moving from Calgary to Maple Creek to Winnipeg. Growing up with a mom who was a librarian and a father who was an avid storyteller, she has always loved to read and create stories. She also grew up loving to draw, often on scrap paper from her dad's office but also occasionally on the underside of the kitchen table.
Carey graduated from Carleton University with a degree in English literature, studied illustration at the Ontario College of Art and Design, and has been an illustrator for over twenty years. She has illustrated for many publications including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Carey now creates picture books, and has more than ten books to her credit, including the critically-acclaimed Buddy and Earl series, I Do Not Like Stories, What Happens Next, as well as Wet and Solutions for Cold Feet, which she both wrote and illustrated.
Her latest book, Lost Things, was inspired by the many things Carey has lost over the years, including a pair of tiny Barbie ballet slippers, her wallet, house keys, glasses and her patience. She has also found many things, including a compass, a small brass bell and more than one lost dog.
Carey teaches part time in the Bachelor of Illustration program at Sheridan College. She lives in Toronto, with her husband, two kids and their dog Rosie, and is often on the lookout for lost things.
Instagram: @csookocheff
Twitter: @CareySookocheff
Facebook: @CareySookocheffIllustration
Picture Books
Lost Things, 2021
Artist & Author Carey Sookocheff on the Journey Through an Illustration Project
DATE
August 07, 2018
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Carey Sookocheff At The Desk Books for Young People Illustrators
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Wonder Buddy and Super Earl have had a lot of adventures over their four books together, but their newest one proves that the wildest rides can be the closest to home when they meet their new neighbours: Snowball the cat and Mister the bulldog.
Author Maureen Fergus and illustrator Carey Sookocheff's Buddy and Earl series has been met with both critical acclaim and the devotion of young fans, thanks to the charming, witty storylines and playful, unique artwork. To celebrate the newest addition to the Buddy and Earl universe, Buddy and Earl Meet the Neighbours (Groundwood Books), we're chatting with both Maureen and Carey. Today we've got Carey (stay tuned for our chat with Maureen!) who takes us into her beautiful work space.
She tells us about the importance of a certain four-legged coworker in her studio space, sharing her brainstorming board with kids and friends, and how the last step of every project is the first step of the next one.
At the Desk, with Carey Sookocheff:
For the past two years I have worked in a lovely studio space with a couple of friends in Toronto. It has been a great space for me to work in, but I’ve recently moved back to my home-based studio. I realized that I can work just about anywhere and I really don’t need such a big dedicated space. I also missed my dog Rosie since she wasn’t able to come to work with me. So right now a lot of my studio is still in boxes while I sort out my new/old space and get everything set up again. I think Rosie is very happy to have me back home.
When I am writing and sketching I can be at my dining room table, at the park, or even waiting in the dentist’s office. All I need is a sketchbook and a pencil and I can write and draw. I also find I develop lots of my ideas at random times when I don’t even have a pencil. I am always thinking about new ideas while I walk my dog, while I am swimming laps or even in the grocery store.
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Once I move on to doing final artwork though I become less nomadic. I need more than just a pencil and I spend most of my time at the drawing table with my paints. My studio is down in the basement, but it actually has a big window and some great light., and there is a comfy couch nearby in case I need a break. I try to keep my space clear of clutter, because I can be very messy when I work. I seem to go through an inordinate amount of paper when I am working out ideas and compositions. I have two big bulletin boards that I use to pin up sketches, ideas, and colour palettes for whatever project I am working on at the moment. My space becomes devoted to whatever project I am working on at the time. There are also two paintings of my daughters pinned up on my board that were painted by my friend Julia Breckenreid. I love having them in my space, but I really should get them framed! I also have lots of picture books and some reference books that I can look at when I need inspiration. Now that I am back at home, my kids also seem to add their own work into the mix, so I have a few of their things on the wall too.
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On the other side of the room I have a desk with my computer and scanner. When I am done painting I scan everything and make adjustments digitally. I often have to dig out my scanner from under a pile of paper before I can start this process. It’s a good signal to me that it is time to clean up, file my sketches in my big flat file cabinet and move on to the next stage of the book process. It also means it is time to head outside and gather up more inspiration by going to the park, the library, or wherever I can travel with my sketchbook and pencil.
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Carey Sookocheff is the author and illustrator of Solutions for Cold Feet and Other Little Problems and Wet. She is also the illustrator of the Buddy and Earl series. She lives in Toronto with her family and her dog, Rosie.
Author & Illustrator team Susan Hughes & Carey Sookocheff on the Ups and Downs of Publishing
DATE
March 09, 2018
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Susan Hughes Carey Sookocheff Pros & Cons
Who hasn't had the feeling that they don't fit in? Despite the universality of feeling excluded, odd, and unworthy, we still struggle to find a way to reach kids experiencing those feelings, to curb bullying in schools, and to even explain just how damaging bullying can be.
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In Susan Hughes and Carey Sookocheff What Happens Next (OwlsKids), an unnamed narrator shares a stripped down story of her experiences at school. Hughes writing is stark and evocative: "What Her Friends Do: Laugh. What Everyone Else Does: Nothing ... How I Feel Sometimes: Bad. Really Bad." Sookocheff's artwork conveys the narrator's isolation in powerful graphic-novel style panels. Vancouver Kidsbooks called What Happens Next "an approach [to discussing bullying] that puts the power in the children's hands."
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We're thrilled to welcome both Susan and Carey to Open Book today as this important book is published. For our newest interview series, Going Pros & Cons, we talk to creators about the publishing experience, their favourite moments, strangest surprises, and biggest frustrations.
Susan tells us about the sometimes-disorienting "hurry up and wait" timelines of publishing, shares her (invaluable!) advice for aspiring writers, and discusses the magic of seeing the artwork for her words. Carey shares how she got intrepid in going after her first break, tells us about her favourite part of the whole process, and describes her modest workspace essentials (including one furry bonus!).
My first big writing/publishing victory and how I celebrated:
Susan Hughes:
I completed my very first book, an upper middle-grade novel called Anything Can Happen, in 1990, after returning from my second trip to India. It was accepted for publication by Doubleday Press shortly afterwards and was published in 1992. I guess you could say my husband and I had our victory celebration sometime in between—our first child, Kevin, was born in May 1991!
Carey Sookocheff:
In 2014 I sent out a postcard to a small group of publishers in the hopes of getting some illustration work. Three publishers contacted me about developing the idea from the postcard into a picture book. I was also contacted about illustrating the Buddy and Earl series at around the same time. It was huge for me. In the end, that postcard resulted in my three publishing contracts. I’m pretty sure that my husband and I popped open a bottle of champagne, but I think I was so shocked that I just got down to work.
The thing that surprised me most about the publishing process:
SH:
The waaaaaaiiiiiitttiiiiinnnnnng and then the HURRYUP nature of the process still surprises me. It feels like the moments in between the writing, the submitting, the editing, the rewriting and revising, the editing, the rewriting and revising, the acceptance of the manuscript, the first looks at visuals, the look at the colour art, and so on—basically all the occasions when the manuscript is out of my hands and in someone else’s—are interminably long! And then the moments when I have the manuscript or visuals back in my hands zip by so quickly. Hang on, the editor needs my revision/comments back when?
CS:
I have been pleasantly surprised by how collaborative the process is and how valued my input and ideas are. I came to book publishing from editorial illustration, where there can be a lot of art direction. Given the time and effort that goes into a picture book, I was anticipating even more of that in publishing. Everyone I have worked with has been open to my ideas and curious to see what I can contribute to the project. I’ve ended up feeling very respected and valued working in publishing.
The advice I would give someone trying to get a book published for the first time:
SH:
Commit to the process. Have patience. Take a long-term view. Create your best work, submit, and begin another writing project. Be humble and take advice—but trust your passion.
CS:
Do your research! I would recommend reading lots of books and paying attention to who publishes them. Go to the library and the bookstore. Do research online by visiting publishers’ websites and be aware of what is happening in the book world. This will help you figure out where you fit in publishing and where is best to submit your manuscript or illustration work.
My favourite part of the publishing process:
SH:
Oh, this is a tough question. I do love the editing process. I have worked with so many wonderful editors over the years—Stacey Roderick, Tara Walker, Karen Li, Niki Walker, Debbie Rogosin—and I have always just loved the back-and-forth with them, the exchange of thoughts and ideas about intention and word usage and style, the common striving to polish the manuscript until it is just right. I also love when the manuscript is good to go and we begin seeing the visuals come in—photos, for certain, but especially the illustrations. When an illustrator comes on board with a story as a co-creator, magic happens. Illustrators deepen and broaden the text, move it into another realm altogether, the way Carey did with What Happens Next! So much that is unsaid in this story is revealed through her sensitive and unique art. As I was writing WHN, I wondered how any illustrator could possibly come up with visuals for certain spreads in the book: for example, the ones in which the narrator describes genomes, describes how human bodies are primarily made of water, and describes the speed at which Earth spins around the Sun. Well, Carey found a way. She did it brilliantly!
CS:
My favourite part of the publishing process is when I am working on sketches and developing ideas. It is the time when there are an infinite number of possibilities and so many different directions to explore. It can also be the most frustrating time. There is often a lot of staring at blank paper and generating ridiculous ideas. The best part, though, is when those ideas start to come together.
The thing(s) I need at/in my writing space:
SH:
Give me my laptop and let me sit at a table near a window with a view. Oh, and maybe pour me a mug of coffee, too. That’s it. I’m all set!
CS:
I have a pretty short list of things I need where I work. The first thing is quiet. I don’t listen to music when I work and I am always the first one at the studio, so I usually have lots of quiet. Time is the second thing I need. I like to let ideas run around in my head for a while before they make it onto paper. And once those ideas are starting to form, I need a 2B pencil and a ton of paper. I often feel a great deal of guilt about the amount of paper I go through. Having my dog around is also nice.
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Susan Hughes is the author of over 30 children’s books, including Up! How Families Around the World Carry their Little Ones, Off to Class, and Making Canada Home. She is a freelance editor and story coach. She lives with her family in Toronto, Ontario. Find out more about Susan and her books at www.susanhughes.ca.
Carey Sookocheff is the illustrator of the critically acclaimed Buddy and Earl series, and the author/illustrator of Solutions for Cold Feet and Other Little Problems and Wet. She has worked with a wide range of editorial, design and corporate clients. She lives in Toronto with her husband, two kids, and their dog.
Carey Sookocheff
Carey Sookocheff is an illustrator and an author. She has written two picture books and illustrated six more. Her illustrations have also appeared in a variety of newspapers and magazines, including The Wall Street Journal and Real Simple Magazine. She lives in Toronto with my family and their dog Rosie.
For the touring creators, Book Week involves a lot of traveling. What one book and one other item are your travel essentials?
My mother was a librarian and, as kids, my brother and I were never allowed to travel with library books in case they ever got damaged or lost. Apparently old habits die hard, because I bought Seven Fallen Feathers by Tanya Talaga a few months ago and I’ve been saving it for this trip. I’m also bringing my camera. I take a lot of photos when I travel and I imagine that there will be a lot to photograph in Nunavut!
What are you most excited for about Book Week? Is there anything you’re nervous about?
I’m really excited to meet all the kids! Kids never fail to surprise me with their questions and ideas. I also believe I will have a chance to visit with an art class at a middle school or high school so I’m looking forward to connecting with some young artists. I’m nervous about the flight from Iqaluit to Pangnirtung – I imagine the plane is going to be small!
What is one random fact about yourself that might surprise people?
I played water polo for over 10 years and tried out for the national team. Although in the end I wasn’t selected for the team, I was in the pool almost every day for a number of years.
What (or who) inspires your writing or art?
I’m inspired by lots of things – my own children, myself as a child and the weird ideas and thoughts I remember having, and my dog Rosie. I’m also inspired by other artists and illustrators – seeing how they use language and images to tell stories. Seeing what others have done inspires me to try using different materials, try different colour palettes and to stretch myself as an artist.
What was your favourite book as a child? Why?
I still have my copy of A Hole is to Dig by Ruth Krauss and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. I think I liked that it was a book full of thoughts. I also still love the tiny, funny illustrations. The first book I ever read myself was Green Eggs and Ham. To celebrate my dad made me green eggs and ham for breakfast the next day, so that book has always felt special to me.
Find out more about Carey Sookocheff through her website or through the Book Week website here.
Carey Sookocheff. Kids Can, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-5253-0544-3
"Sometimes things are lost," this optimistic picture book's text opens, accompanied by an image of a brown-skinned child's dog bolting to chase a squirrel. But as the book progresses, it becomes clear that this is as much a tale of finding things as it is of losing them. In uncluttered scenes that employ a limited palette, visuals lead the reader on a believable series of domino-effect lost-andfound events unleashed by the canine's disappearance (the dog's person loses a ribbon that's plucked up by a bird, which is seen by a light-skinned child who drops their stuffie) until at last the story comes full circle. In clean pencil drawings and cool-toned acrylic gouache, Sookocheff thoughtfully explores the often invisible ways that communities can be linked-even the end pages emphasize interconnection with an aerial view of a cheerful park and its intersecting paths. Ages 3-6.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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"Lost Things." Publishers Weekly, vol. 268, no. 48, 24 Nov. 2021, p. 31. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A686559559/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=bbbcbc98. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
Sookocheff, Carey LOST THINGS Kids Can (Children's None) $17.99 9, 7 ISBN: 978-1-5253-0544-3
A meditative look on what it means to be lost and found.
Beginning with a squirrel losing an acorn as it is chased by a dog that broke free from its owner's grasp, this spare story follows various items as they are accidentally left behind. The person who is chasing after the dog loses a hair ribbon--a bright spot of orange on a winding, white path. A bird picks it up and adds it to a nest--and when a young tot watches the bird in fascination, a teddy bear is unintentionally dropped. Each item's individual moment tumbles into the next, gently nudging the story forward. Sookocheff's clean lines and minimalist illustrations invite readers to lean in, follow each item's journey, and observe the community's interactions. Sometimes the lost items are repurposed; sometimes they find their way back home; and sometimes, as Sookocheff sagely advises, "lost things are found / by the people who need them the most." Readers will be first relieved to see dog and owner reunited, then amused to see the squirrel rediscovering its acorn. Upcoming characters are hinted at in the background and are then seen in other illustrations afterward. Everyone and everything is intertwined, underscoring the book's subtle message that we are all important to one another's story. Humans depicted are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A quiet, wondrous discovery. (Picture book. 4-7)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Sookocheff, Carey: LOST THINGS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Sept. 2021, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A673649956/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a5d00968. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
LARSEN, Andrew. I Do Not Like Stories. illus. by Carey Sookocheff. 32p. Owlkids. Sept. 2020. Tr $17.95. ISBN 9781771473781.
K-Gr 2--Everyone likes different kinds of stories; some do not like stories at all. One morning upon waking, a young white boy is greeted by his cat and proceeds to begrudgingly prepare himself for the day and set off for school. As the day progresses, the boy lists the kinds of stories he does not like as moments in the day remind him of them. Unbeknownst to him, while he is at school, his cat is having adventures of its own! Ultimately, the boy and his cat reconvene at the boy's house and round out tire day together. Reluctant readers will appreciate the design of this book and the repetitions in the text, because this book is built differently. Three stories occur in tandem: one told in words and the other two told through pictures. While the words lament stories in nearly every form, the images recount interesting days experienced by both the boy and his cat, juxtaposing the melancholy text. Through this, the inventive design of the pages inspires readers to develop their own stories to describe the illustrations, instead of relying solely on the written text. A limited color palette and minimalist visuals make this book less overwhelming and more accessible to newer readers than books generally created for this age group. VERDICT An outstanding, atypical addition to library collections for the young, this invites close inspection of the elements, critical thinking about the differences between text and art, as well as the contradiction between what tire boy does and what he says.--Mary Lanni, formerly at Denver P.L.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2020 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
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Lanni, Mary. "LARSEN, Andrew. I Do Not Like Stories." School Library Journal, vol. 66, no. 9, Sept. 2020, p. 68. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A634531999/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=80332e7a. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
Larsen, Andrew I DO NOT LIKE STORIES Owlkids Books (Children's None) $17.95 9, 15 ISBN: 978-1-77147-378-1
A grouchy reader finally finds an appealing topic.
“I do not like stories about waking up in the morning,” begins the light-skinned, dark-haired grump. Once off to school, the child continues to enumerate every single kind of disliked story on the left side of the double-page spreads while the right-hand page shows the family’s cat having parallel experiences: upsetting a fruit cart when the child expresses disdain for stories about fruit, climbing a tree when the kid says, “I do not like stories about deep dark forests,” and reentering the apartment through a window as the child reviles “stories about going home.” Comic-book–style panels divide the action while the muted, blue-dominated palette and simple lines of the illustrations match the downcast tone of the story. The only break in the repetitive structure is when the kid says, “I do not like stories about monsters that hide behind closed doors,” and then, after a bewhiskered, spread-spanning “BOO,” says, “Just kidding! That’s no monster. That’s my cat.” The kid only concedes, at the end, the possibility of “lik[ing] a story about a cat.” The story has a pleasant, soothing rhythm, but it never manages to get anywhere interesting. There’s no insight into why the antihero is so pessimistic, and the cat’s side-plot adventures are too mundane to entertain or offer a counternarrative.
Anti-book books are tricky, and this one doesn’t quite pull it off. (Picture book. 4-7)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2020 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Larsen, Andrew: I DO NOT LIKE STORIES." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2020, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A625183219/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=e1941586. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
Dunklee, Annika SPROUT, SEED, SPROUT! Owlkids Books (Children's Fiction) $17.95 3, 15 ISBN: 978-1-77147-308-8
A young child experiences the work, waiting, and reward of growing an avocado tree from seed.
In fewer than 150 words, Dunklee traces the path from seed to tree. When an avocado seed pops free during dinner prep, a smiling child retrieves it, pokes it with toothpicks for supports, and sets it atop a glass of water in hopes that it will sprout. The child and a pet cat work side by side to nurture the new plant. Each double-page spread captures one step in the journey that includes both the practical (potting, watering, ensuring sunlight, and replanting outside) and the whimsical (an encouraging song, lucky coins, and "supportive friends"). Counting to three creates the gentle rhythm of the story. Actions are often completed in three steps and described in three words: "One pot. Two careful hands. Three scoops of soil. Pat, pat, pat." Similarly, three words, sometimes repeated, emphasize key emotions, as "I...GIVE...UP!" gives way to "HOORAY! HOORAY! HOORAY!" Simple illustrations, primarily in soft shades of blue, yellow, and avocado, show steps that readers could duplicate at home. The cat's attention (or inattention) adds humor; its glowering inclusion with a stuffed bunny and toy robot as one of the "supportive friends" is particularly funny. The child and their parent present white.
This quiet book effectively describes the meditative, sometimes-frustrating process that growing a plant entails. (Picture book. 4-8)
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"Dunklee, Annika: SPROUT, SEED, SPROUT!" Kirkus Reviews, 1 Feb. 2019. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A571549126/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=897d007c. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
What Happens Next is a raw, realistic story told by an unnamed protagonist who is made to feel different from everybody else--even invisible sometimes. Bullied by a girl at school, our narrator gives a terse script of the related facts (What Her Friends Do: Laugh. What Everyone Else Does: Nothing.) and emotions (How I Feel Sometimes: Bad. Really Bad.). The narrator takes these hurt feelings home, where Mom listens and offers some ideas. At school the next day, the child confronts the bully by turning a "weirdo" fascination with science into an opportunity to find common ground, and maybe help the bully see the world in a new way. Spare illustrations in a limited palette of blues and greens by illustrator Carey Sookocheff convey feeling alone even in the hustle and bustle of a crowded schoolyard. The graphic novel - style panels set a steady pace for the emotional impact of this important story by author Susan Hughes that doesn't simplify the realities of feeling like an outsider. It's a powerful starting point for discussions of emotions, empathy, and how we relate to others. An impressively exceptional picture book for young children ages 4 to 10, "What Happens Next" is especially recommended for family, preschool, elementary school, and community library collections.
Susan Hughes, author
Carey Sookocheff, illustrator
Owlkids Books Inc.
1700 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.owlkidsbooks.com
9781771471657, $16.95, HC, 40pp, www.amazon.com
Please Note: Illustration(s) are not available due to copyright restrictions.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Midwest Book Review
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"What Happens Next." Children's Bookwatch, Aug. 2018. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A554042239/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=46a005ab. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
HUGHES, Susan. What Happens Next. illus. by Carey Sookocheff. 40p. Owlkids. Mar. 2018. Tr $16.95. ISBN 9781771471657.
K-Gr 4--A bully is making a girl's life miserable and no one seems to care. "Why I Don't Want to Go to School Today: Bully B. What Her Friends Do: Laugh. What Everyone Else Does: Nothing." The bully often calls her a "weirdo" and shoves her. The narrator (who is not named) must find little bursts of happiness in her life at home with her mother and her dog, Sparky. But, she thinks, "everything would be better if Bully B. was on another star, far, far away." The girl's mother tries to explain why the bully acts the way she does and to empower her daughter to take charge of the situation. When the child decides to confront the bully on the playground, the result is something that neither one expects. VERDICT With spare illustrations, the focus is on the commanding prose that makes this a perfect read-aloud for Kindness Week. A powerful reminder to children that even if we seem completely different, we have enormous commonalities that bind us.--Amanda C. Buschmann, Carroll Elementary School, Houston
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Buschmann, Amanda C. "HUGHES, Susan. What Happens Next." School Library Journal, vol. 64, no. 2, Feb. 2018, pp. 58+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A526733944/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=b7cec227. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
Fergus, Maureen BUDDY AND EARL MEET THE NEIGHBORS Groundwood (Children's Fiction) $16.95 8, 7 ISBN: 978-1-77306-025-5
Buddy and Earl, dog and hedgehog, do what they do best: find adventure where there is none.
Fergus' protagonists have been digging for treasure in the flower garden. But that gets old pretty fast, and Buddy, as is his wont, suggests a nap. Earl is appalled. He has decided they are superheroes: Wonder Buddy and Super Earl. They must save the city when an imaginary call from the mayor alerts the heroes to a villain on the loose. Buddy is a bit nonplussed by the whole fabrication, but Earl is the brains of the operation, and he keeps things rolling. Earl trails the villain to the new neighbors' house, where they find Mister (a bulldog rather than a villain, and a bit of a rube, like Buddy) and Snowflake (not a villain but a cat, and a bit self-inflated, like Earl). There follow some classic follies--pride before the fall, dogs ripping leaf bags to shreds--which are successfully negotiated, and the new friends are invited to play Lick the Recycling Bin. At last it's time for Buddy's nap. The problem here is that the story lacks the bite of originality. Two little, fairly charming boasters get their comeuppance, but there is no way they will admit to it. Even Earl's little zingers feel well-traveled.
Time for a nap. (Picture book. 4-9)
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"Fergus, Maureen: BUDDY AND EARL MEET THE NEIGHBORS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 May 2018. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A536571163/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=cf69e469. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
FERGUS, Maureen. Buddy and Earl Meet the Neighbors, illus. by Carey Sookocheff. 32p. (Buddy and Earl). Groundwood. Aug. 2018. Tr $16.95. ISBN 9781773060255.
PreS-Gr 3--Best friends Buddy the dog and Earl the porcupine are back as "crime-fighting superheroes Wonder Buddy and Super Earl." While the pooch is ready for a nap, his prickly comrade informs him that, "Unfortunately, the good citizens of this fair city expect more from us." He then proceeds to take a call from the mayor on his invisible phone, in which he leanis that "the Evil Doctor Stinker has escaped from prison" and is "planning to close down the only hamburger factory in town." The Earl-mobile, aka Mom's new gardening hat, takes them to the evil villain's secret lair, aka the new neighbor's yard, where they meet a bulldog named Mister and a nimble white cat called Snowflake. While demonstrating her own superpowers, Snowflake slips and the dynamic duo, sporting capes and masks, must come to her rescue. Despite a few setbacks, they succeed and then invite their new friends over "to play Lick the Recycling Bin sometime very soon." The illustrations, rendered in acrylic gouache on watercolor paper, capture the humorous antics of the four friends in a palette of lime green and light blue and muted gray and brown on white. Share before recess to inspire adventure and cooperation on the playground. VERDICT This fun story celebrates friendship and the power of imaginative play.--Barbara Auerbach, formerly at New York City Public Schools
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Auerbach, Barbara. "FERGUS, Maureen. Buddy and Earl Meet the Neighbors." School Library Journal, vol. 64, no. 6, June 2018, p. 63. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A540902856/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=431ef7f3. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
Wet
by Carey Sookocheff; illus. by the author
Preschool Godwin/Holt 40 pp.
6/17 978-1-62779-775-7 $16.99
A young boy introduces the reader to a range of ways to get wet, from entering a swimming pool ("Some people just get halfway wet") to standing in the rain ("Everything gets wet") to more dramatic methods (landing in a puddle at the bottom of a slide). Sookocheff (illustrator of the Buddy and Earl picture books) reinforces her matterof-fact text with simple, cool-color illustrations that feature cameos by members of the boy's community and family: fellow swimmers, a custodian mopping the floor at school, the boy's slobbery pet ("My dog's water bowl is wet. So is her tongue and my socks"), and his father ("My face gets wet when I cry. So does my dad's shoulder"). Given the jump-cut aspect of many a modern-day picture book, there's something daringly unchic about Sookocheff's commitment to taking her time. "Sometimes I get wet VERY slowly" spans four pages, each showing a different stage in the boy's effort to immerse himself in the swimming pool; they could be four pages in a flip book. The emphasis on everyday experiences and emotions places this book in Mister Rogers territory, and Sookocheff is a worthy surveyor. NELL BERAM
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Sources, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Beram, Nell. "Wet." The Horn Book Magazine, vol. 93, no. 4, July-Aug. 2017, pp. 116+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A500260340/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=34bc4fe4. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
Sookocheff, Carey WET Henry Holt (Children's Fiction) $16.99 6, 20 ISBN: 978-1-62779-775-7
A young boy describes the ways and places that he gets wet in his world.From a dip in the pool to splashing in a puddle to enjoying his pets' sloppy kisses, with quite a few damp diversions along the way, Sookocheff's unnamed, pale-skinned first-person narrator catalogs his experience with liquids. He notes that sometimes he gets wet slowly, as when he starts his time at the swimming pool by dipping just his toes in; other times it happens fast, as when a cannonball dive makes a big splash. Sometimes it's voluntary--and fun. Other times, getting wet doesn't feel so good and brings on tears. Luckily his dad's there to comfort him (and get wet himself). Getting wet and dirty leads to a bath: getting wet to get clean. Speaking directly to readers about everyday experiences, the text is convincingly childlike and pleasingly immediate. The simple yet expressive illustrations feature round-headed, swoopy-armed people and large swathes of subdued, opaque blues, grays, and greens. They mirror the action and match the low-key tone of the narrative perfectly. There's gentle humor, compelling (but comfortingly minor) angst, and a loving family to keep the boy safe through his adventures. An intriguing approach to exploring a familiar natural phenomenon, this will appeal to thoughtful young listeners who may want to share their own experiences in response. (Picture book. 3-7)
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"Sookocheff, Carey: WET." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Apr. 2017. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A489268480/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=1fc71608. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
FERGUS, Maureen
Buddy and Earl and the Great Big Baby (Buddy and Earl Series # 3)
Illustrated by Carey Sookocheff.
Groundwood Books, 2016. 32p. Illus. Gr.
Preschool--1.978-1-55498-716-0. Hdbk. $16.95
Earl is a hedgehog who doesn't know much about babies but he thinks he will like them because hedgehogs and babies have two things in common; they both like to eat things off the floor, and they both I smell interesting. But when Earl sees the visiting baby tear Meredith's favourite doll, and take Buddy's chew toy, he thinks babies are big, horrible things that should live in cages. Earl changes his mind though when the baby blows him a kiss and gives him "a great, gummy smile" between the bars of the playpen.
This third picture book in the Buddy and Ear! Series highlights Earl's imagination (he sees lava in the red clothes and snakes under the bed) and his loyalty to his best friend Buddy (a dog) and the family they live with. They keep the baby safe when he escapes from his playpen, and they behave as friends do when they realize something about one another. The acryl gouache and Photoshop illustrations show the baby acting like a baby but Earl's dialogue adds humour to the pale coloured pages. When Meredith's two pets see the baby putting her Dad's shoe in the toilet, Earl says, "Now, go find something else for the baby to wash. We need to keep him busy until help arrives." Splashes of red connect the scenes together as the characters wander throughout the house.
This book may help alleviate concerns children may have about encountering a baby for the first time because Earl makes comparisons and draws conclusions that would make sense to young children, or make older children laugh.
Thematic Links: Dog; Hedgehog; Baby; Comparisons; Friends; Pets
[G] Good, even great at times, generally useful!
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 Resource Links
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Boudreau, Tanya. "Fergus, Maureen: Buddy and Earl and the Great Big Baby (Buddy and Earl Series # 3)." Resource Links, vol. 22, no. 1, Oct. 2016, p. 5. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A469756062/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=db52f9a4. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
Buddy and Earl and the Great Big Baby
by Maureen Fergus;
illus. by Carey Sookocheff
Primary Groundwood 32 pp.
8/16 978-1-55498-716-0 $16.95
In the third picture book featuring dog Buddy and hedgehog Earl (Buddy and Earl, rev. 9/15; Buddy and Earl Go Exploring, rev. 5/16), the two friends are excited at the prospect of a visit from a baby--especially when Earl finds out how much he and babies have in common: they're both "small and adorable," "like to eat things off the floor," and "smell very interesting." But when the baby arrives, it turns out to be the havoc-wreaking, dog- and hedgehog-food-eating type, and Buddy and Earl are horrified. Once safely contained in a playpen, however, the baby charms Earl (worn-out Buddy is taking a nap); when it escapes, Earl wakes Buddy up so they can locate and protect it. Fortunately, they find the baby safe and sound, "washing" long-suffering Dad's shoe in the toilet. And by the time the baby is discovered by its mother, it has "washed" many of Dad's other possessions as well. (Buddy and Earl needed to keep it busy, didn't they?) At adventure's end, Earl decides that "babies and dogs have something in common, too ... They both make the world a happier place." Once again, the friends' personalities play off each other beautifully in both the droll, deadpan text and the minimalist acrylic gouache illustrations. As low-key as the text, and in predominantly earth tones, the pictures use red accents brilliantly (such as when the howling baby is being hauled off to its playpen, face red as a beet). This series just keeps getting better and better: we'll all look forward to our next visit with Buddy and Earl.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Sources, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Parravano, Martha V. "Buddy and Earl and the Great Big Baby." The Horn Book Magazine, vol. 92, no. 5, Sept.-Oct. 2016, pp. 83+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A469641270/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d2989b78. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
Solutions for Cold Feet and Other Little Problems
Carey Sookocheff. Tundra, $16.99 (48p) ISBN 978-1-77049-873-0
Illustrator Sookocheff makes her authorial debut by examining the travails and rewards of a girl's relationship with her dog, framed as a series of "solutions." In the first section, "Solutions for a Missing Shoe," readers know exactly where the shoe is; a drawing on the left shows the girl's pup running off with it. "Check in the closet. Look under the bed," suggest the following pages, but the shoe--chewed to pieces--is eventually found under the table, leading to another suggestion: "Wear a mismatched pair." The palette is muted and spare--gray-green, yellow-green, and red--and Sookocheff's cartooning is as loose and breezy as in the Buddy and Earl books. In subsequent sections, the girl's dog compels her to do things a little differently, to accommodate. Sometimes that means getting wet in the rain; sometimes it means buying a replacement ice cream cone. But when she's warming up on the sofa after a day in the snow, the "solution for cold feet" is ... a dog. Dog lovers of all ages will easily identify with these scenarios, recognizing them as inherent to canine companionship. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
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"Solutions for Cold Feet and Other Little Problems." Publishers Weekly, vol. 263, no. 35, 29 Aug. 2016, p. 90. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A462236526/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=b1ff1b5e. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
SOOKOCHEFF, Carey. Solutions for Cold Feet and Other Little Problems. illus. by Carey Sookocheff. 48p. Tundra. Oct. 2016. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781770498730.
PreS-Gr 1--The illustrator of the charming "Buddy and Earl" series applies a set of practical solutions to everyday problems. Via a cool palette and a concise text, a girl and her dog test multiple resolutions for challenges, such as a missing shoe--check in the closet, under the bed, behind the couch, and under the table, or wear a mismatched pair. Similarly, there are multiple ways to deal with getting caught in the rain, melting ice cream, a boring day, and a flyaway hat. The list of scenarios ends with cold feet, which are best resolved with a cuddly pup. The gouache cartoons and spare writing are welcome, and the humor is subdued: unusual in a field in which slapstick is more often the norm. VERDICT Perfect for writing and drawing prompts and playful imagining.--Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Van Vleck, Gay Lynn. "Sookocheff, Carey. Solutions for Cold Feet and Other Little Problems." School Library Journal, vol. 62, no. 10, Oct. 2016, p. 86. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A466166879/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=455158e8. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
Fergus, Maureen BUDDY AND EARL GO TO SCHOOL Groundwood (Children's Fiction) $16.95 8, 1 ISBN: 978-1-55498-927-0
The droll dog-and-hedgehog duo is back, this time going to school. As per usual, Buddy the dog is very matter-of-fact, naive, and literal, while his prickly friend, Earl, sometimes lets his imagination take over reality. When Meredith (their white human owner) announces the two will be attending school, Earl is excited, since "Getting an education is the first step to achieving my dream of becoming a dentist." Buddy doesn't think hedgehogs can be dentists but is thrilled to learn that he too can be anything he wants with the right education. The two prepare themselves with a "nutritious breakfast" of Dad's slipper and then gather some supplies. In the classroom, Earl is miffed at the other students, who not only refuse to return his greeting, but won't even look at him. "They are only toys," Buddy tells him. Then Meredith's called away, and she leaves Earl in charge: "I've always wanted to be a teacher." Buddy excels at Earl's lessons in sniffing, tail-chasing, and itch-scratching and is the enthusiastic recipient of an earnestly presented special student award. Sookocheff extends the tongue-in-cheek humor of the text in the gouache-and-Photoshop illustrations, Earl's simple dot eyes and line mouth expressing his every emotion and Buddy the epitome of a dog, simple but loving. Readers will enjoy their time with these two: another satisfying friendship adventure. (Picture book. 4-8)
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"Fergus, Maureen: BUDDY AND EARL GO TO SCHOOL." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2017. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A493329261/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=29b7ca86. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
Fergus, Maureen BUDDY AND EARL GO EXPLORING Groundwood (Children's Picture Books) $16.95 3, 1 ISBN: 978-1-55498-714-6
There are few things as pleasurable as a little nighttime adventure in which you get to trash the kitchen. Chums Buddy the dog and Earl the hedgehog have had an eventful day and are ready for some slumber. At least Buddy is. Earl looks down from his cage at Buddy on the floor and whispers, "Wish me bon voyage." Once Buddy is told what bon voyage means, he wants to know more, even if it does give him the collywobbles. Well, it means Earl is going to run, run, run. Pooped, Earl looks around: "This place looks eerily similar to the place I just left." (The promise and treachery of the exercise wheel.) But there are other places to explore. It is squeeze-your-heart charming when Earl turns Buddy's water bowl into a moonlit lake, and Buddy--the clumsy literalist--knocks over the garbage can only to find gold: meatloaf. There are monsters to tend with--hairbrush-eating purses, menacing vacuum cleaners--but better, there are fine sentences with which to wrestle: "It was a spur-of-the-moment decision"; "Wherever the road leads me....However long it takes." Drawn with spare linework and great blocks of soft, dreamy color in a nighttime palette, the pals' setting appropriately shifts between mundane and extraordinary, just like their adventure. Roll, fetch, bite. Life is good for Buddy and Earl in this aerobic exercise of the imagination. (Picture book. 4-7)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Fergus, Maureen: BUDDY AND EARL GO EXPLORING." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Dec. 2015. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A435818960/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f9b13e14. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
Fergus, Maureen BUDDY AND EARL Groundwood (Children's Picture Books) $16.95 8, 11 ISBN: 978-1-55498-712-2
Two creatures find an unlikely friendship when one takes on the role of gagman and the other an unwitting straight man.It's raining, and Buddy is bored. Buddy is in the living room, and Buddy isn't allowed to touch pretty much anything there. Buddy is a dog. The daughter of the house enters with a box containing a ball of sharp quills. The girl leaves. Buddy mooches over to get a closer look. Turns out the ball of quills talks. Call him Earl, says the ball of quills. Buddy asks Earl what he is. Earl suggests a race car. Buddy, though no Einstein, thinks not. Giraffe? No. Talking hairbrush? "Buddy was almost positive that Earl was not a talking hairbrush." Earl suggests they engage in some no-nos, like jumping on the sofa, then on the coffee table. Buddy's having too much of a blast to demur. Mom enters. Buddy gets a scolding, but Earl sticks up for him, even though Mom doesn't appear to hear Earl's defense of Buddy. Buddy does. And that's how a dog and a hedgehog become friends in this winning series opener. Fergus' deadpan text and Sookocheff's simple, flowing artwork work in elemental harmony, elevating the book to a subliminal sophistication that breathes something quite smart into the proceedings. Earl and Buddy know the secret of camaraderie and play it out in fine form. (Picture book. 4-7)
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"Fergus, Maureen: BUDDY AND EARL." Kirkus Reviews, 15 July 2015. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A421459702/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=4943bcc7. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
Buddy and Earl. By Maureen Fergus. Illus. by Carey Sookocheff. Aug. 2015. 32p. Groundwood, $16.95 (9781554987122); e-book, $14.95 (9781554987139). K-Gr. 2.
Buddy the dog is bored on a rainy day, but he's in for a surprise when a small box arrives with a mysterious prickly thing inside, who introduces himself as Earl. Inquisitive Buddy asks, "What are you, Earl?" Earl replies that he's a race car, but Buddy's not convinced. Tricky Earl agrees, "I'm not a race car. I'm a giraffe." That's still not right, but Earl soon turns the tables on Buddy: "You're very tall. Are you a skyscraper?" Their lighthearted game of pretend culminates in a thrilling pirate adventure on the sofa, and Buddy knows he's found a friend. Though savvy little ones will likely recognize that Earl is a hedgehog (despite his insistence that he's a talking hairbrush), Sookocheff's cute, cartoonish pictures, rendered with thick black outlines and flat patches of subdued color, cleverly illustrate Earl's imaginative japes. When he claims to be a race car, the holes in his box transform into tires, and when he's a sea urchin, the blue area rug is a pool of sea water. Though the muted palette may not immediately dazzle, it's the perfect backdrop for Buddy's and Earl's wild imaginations to take center stage. Their charmingly raucous game of make-believe is appealing enough, but the sneaky lesson in deductive reasoning makes this frolicsome, read-aloud-friendly picture book truly outstanding.--Sarah Hunter
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 American Library Association
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Hunter, Sarah. "Buddy and Earl." Booklist, vol. 111, no. 22, 1 Aug. 2015, p. 71. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A428997960/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=91c32c07. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.