SNOW! SNOW! SNOW!

Written and illustrated by Lee Harper

(Simon Schuster, Paula Wiseman Books)

KIRKUS

 

  The morning after a snowfall a dog family heads out to the “best sledding hill in the / whole / wide / world.” Piling onto their sled, they swoosh “down the hill / faster than the speed of sound” before a BIG bump launches them into the air with the geese, sled and all. In his authorial debut, Harper nails the excitement of a swoop down a pristine hill. He depicts his dogs as floppy-eared brown hounds all bundled up in boots, parkas, hats and mittens. The full-bleed paintings place them in a wintry wilderness, surrounded by evergreens. This is a celebration of snow and speed, pure and simple—readers will understand exactly why, after landing with a bone-rattling SPLOOMPH, the kids have only one thing to say: “Again! Again!” (Picture book. 2-5)

School Library Journal

The snow comes down all through the night, creating perfect sledding conditions for the next day. Two pups get bundled up and head outside with their dad, pile onto a sled, and head down the hill. They hit a bump and go soaring into the air, and three spreads show them blissfully sailing alongside the birds. When they are struck with the realization that they can't really fly, they crash to earth, right before the requisite, "Again! Again!" Harper's watercolor illustrations are simple, yet effective. Readers get a good sense of the cold, crisp snow and billowing clouds, and the characters' faces are expressive. Children will enjoy this reminder of how much fun winter can be.—Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI

BOOKLIST

  After a night of falling snow, two children (well, OK, dogs dressed in pajamas) look out on a day that’s perfect for sledding. Once dressed for the cold, they climb an enormous hill with their father. All three pile onto the sled and speed downward. Hitting a bump, they take off, flying though the air for a few pages, seemingly soaring above the clouds until, suddenly, gravity kicks in and “SPLOOMPH!” they land, their

fall cushioned by the snow at the bottom of the hill. In the paintings, snowy landscapes and cloudy skies create lovely backdrops, while the expressive, cartoon-like characters bring energy and good-natured fun to the artwork. Short and simple, the text on each double-page spread varies from a dozen words to none at all. Even toddlers will soon chime in on what’s sure to be their favorite line, “Uh-oh,” not to mention echoing the little dogs’ cry after their snowy landing, “Again! Again!”

— Carolyn Phelan

TURKEY TROUBLE

By Wendi Silvano, illustrated by Lee Harper

(Marshall Cavendish)

BOOKLIST

Hold onto your drumsticks, Turkey is in trouble. It’s almost Thanksgiving and how can he avoid ending up on the dinner platter? He has an idea: he disguises himself as a horse, a cow, a pig, and a sheep, but none of them fool even the animals. Finally he tries being a rooster, but when Farmer Jake can’t find Turkey, his wife says they could always eat rooster. Yikes! Turkey’s final brainstorm is one last disguise—as a pizza delivery guy, and indeed his hide is saved by the tasty tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, and onions growing on the farm. Turkey’s costumes are ridiculously funny; for example, wearing a bucket on his beak with two slits for a pig snout and a scrub brush strapped to the back of his head for a horse’s mane. Watercolor illustrations play up the bug-eyed animals with lots of in-your-face close-ups. Kids will eat this up this clever and comical tale—and very likely request pizza for Thanksgiving dinner, too.

—Booklist, September 1, 2009

School Library Journal

As Thanksgiving approaches, Turkey fears that he will be the centerpiece of the holiday meal. Thus begins his quest for the perfect disguise so he won't be found when the time arrives. He ties a brush on the back of his head and wears a tiny saddle because surely no one would eat a horse for dinner. But the animals still recognize him. He tries to become a cow, a pig, a sheep, and a rooster. He does not look like any of them. When he hears Farmer Jake tell his wife that if they can't find the turkey, maybe they should eat the rooster for dinner, the protagonist comes up with the perfect ruse. This book is as silly as Denys Cazet's offerings about Minnie and Moo (HarperCollins) and just as funny. Harper's comical watercolor illustrations pair naturally with Silvano's clever, filled-with-wordplay text. A first choice for holiday collections.—Mary Hazelton, Elementary Schools in Warren & Waldoboro, ME

P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY

Turkey is in trouble—it’s close to Thanksgiving and

Farmer Jake is looking for him. But he has a plan: “What if he

didn’t look like a turkey? What if he looked like a horse?” And wearing a saddle and with a horse brush tied to the back of his head, he looks “just like a horse... almost.” His subsequent farm

animal disguises (as a cow, pig and sheep, among others) are equally ineffective, and Silvano goes with a goofy gag for Turkey’s final, successful costume: a pizza delivery man. With an autumnal

palette of bright watercolors, Harper creates an exaggerated

and emotive barnyard cast. Ages 4–8.

LOOKING FOR THE EASY LIFE

by Walter Dean Myers, illustrated by Lee Harper

(HarperCollins)

School Library Journal

  The monkeys on Monkey Island think they have it pretty good until Oswego Pete says he’s looking to lead an “Easy Life.” All he wants to do is lay back and relax. Uh-Huh Freddie, their leader, can see where this is going but when all the other monkeys agree with Oswego Pete, they set off to find another part of the island to find the Easy Life. On their way they come upon a lion who decides they would make a great dinner and after tousling with him, Oswego Pete ends up losing some of his tail. The lion won’t give it back because he worked hard for it. And so it goes as they encounter a shark and some hip-hop hippos. By the end, the monkeys realize that working hard is not such a bad thing and they abandon their quest for a cushy life. This Aesop-like tale is written in African-American dialect, and Myers’s turns of phrase are as funny as can be. It will make a great read-aloud. In case children miss the lesson, Uh-Huh Freddie sums it all up at the end of the story. The illustrations are cartoony and as silly as the monkeys in their colorful attire.–Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA

 

Publisher’s Weekly

  Oswego Pete, a stringy-looking monkey, sweet-talks his four monkey friends into setting off on a quest for the "Easy Life"; even stolid Uh-Huh Freddie, the chief monkey, gets suckered into the trip. But after a lion eats half of Oswego Pete's tail, a shark chomps off another quarter, and a group of Hip-Hop Hippos keep the monkeys as servants ("...it is not the life for no self-respecting monkey," Uh-Huh Freddie complains. "I got some big-time monkey dreams I need to get back to"), the whole gang realizes that the "Easy Life" may require some initiative after all. Myers (Muhammad Ali: The People's Champion) offers deft characterizations and quick retorts ("How come you ain't got no lips?" Oswego Pete asks the shark. "'Cause I don't want nothing between me and my lunch!"), and Harper's (Woolbur) animals grin and flirt engagingly. It's tough to side with responsible Uh-Huh Freddie when all the attention is focused on hapless Oswego Pete, but in a book far less serious than his norm, Myers demonstrates a profound talent for kid-pleasing humor--it's a story-time natural. Ages 4–8. (Feb.)

WOOLBUR

By Leslie Helakoski, illustrated by Lee Harper (HarperCollins)

KIRKUS

  Woolbur is a free-spirited lamb; he’d rather run with the dogs than stand with the flock. Grandpaa says not to worry, but Maa and Paa pull on their wool all night long. Woolbur has trouble with shearing (he likes being wooly), carding (he tries carding wool while it’s still on his body), spinning (he’d rather ride the spinning wheel) and weaving (he weaves his own forelock into his art project). When his parent’s worry that he looks and acts so different, Woolbur repeatedly responds, “I know. Isn’t it great?” Finally, his parents put their hooves down and order him to act like every other sheep. Woolbur, ever the individual, has a solution to this as well. Harper’s lumpy, expressive ovines, especially the wild-wooled Woolbur, bring Helakoski’s delightful tale of independence to life. The surprising twists in a text full of repetitive language is proof that Helakoski’s barnyard hoot Big Chickens (2006) was no fluke. Hopefully she’ll turn out a whole flock as fun as this. (Picture book. 3-7)

School Library Journal

HELAKOSKI, Leslie. Woolbur. illus. by Lee Harper. unpaged. HarperCollins. Jan. 2008. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-084726-5; PLB $17.89. ISBN 978-0-06-084727-2. LC number unavailable.

PreS-Gr 2–Woolbur is his own sheep. He doesn’t follow the herd, he doesn’t shear his wool in the spring, and he weaves his forelock into a flamboyant bouffant hairdo. And whenever his Maa and Paa point out to him that he is different, Woolbur’s answer is, “I know....Isn’t it great?” It’s great for free-spirited Woolbur and his in-tune Grandpaa, but not for his concerned parents, who are picking themselves bald with worry. When they finally insist that their son must act more like the other sheep, Woolbur turns conformity on its head by teaching all of the others to act like him. Now Maa and Paa’s concern is how they can identify their child from all the other eccentrics. Woolbur is a testament to individuality, although the conversion of the other sheep diminishes the message a bit. Still, it’s nice to see a story in which being different is not a struggle but a happy choice made in the spirit of fun. Harper’s amusing illustrations contribute to that fun with subtle details like Grandpaa’s yin and yang bed linen and a copy of Right Brained Lambs on a lamp table beside a frazzled Maa. There is plenty to mull over, making this a good supplemental selection.–Kara Schaff Dean, Walpole Public Library, MA

TURKEY CLAUS

School Library Journal

SILVANO, Wendi J. Turkey Claus. illus. by Lee Harper. 32p. CIP. Amazon. Nov. 2012. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7614-6239-2; ebook $7.99. ISBN 978-0-7614-6240-8. LC 2011034874.

PreS-Gr 2–Having avoided being served up for Thanksgiving dinner in Turkey Trouble (Marshall Cavendish, 2009), the protagonist travels to the North Pole to petition Santa to save him from being the main attraction of Christmas dinner. Santa is too busy to see anyone, and Turkey’s attempts to disguise himself as a Christmas tree, a reindeer, a candy cane, and Mrs. Claus fail hilariously. When he manages to smuggle himself into Santa’s presence (wrapped up as a Christmas present), Santa comes up with the perfect plan–and the whole farm munches contentedly on Christmas pizza. Goofy watercolor and pencil illustrations play up the humor of the giggle-inducing text, with Turkey working his wattles to great effect. “Pizza on Earth” could indeed start a new tradition.–Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library

The Emperor’s Cool Clothes

written and illustrated by Lee Harper

(Marshall Cavendish)

KIRKUS REVIEWS

Andersen’s classic tale gets a humorously “cool” update in an imaginary land in which emperor penguins, polar bears, seals, walruses and albatross coexist.

The emperor, fighting childhood memories of being teased, decides that once he becomes ruler he will achieve total coolness. His wardrobe is the means to his end, but coolness is deeper than fabric. Dissatisfied with the offerings in the local clothing shops (Cold Navy, Albatross & Fish), it is no surprise when a new shop, Two Rogues Cool Clothes, catches his eye. The two rogues promise clothing invisible to anyone not as cool as the emperor, setting in motion the lies that lead to his naked parade. As in the original, the ending is a bit abrupt. Harper’s version also adds a bit of ambiguity as to what the emperor may have learned from this experience. But while the ending may leave readers with a less-than-cool impression, the illustrations just may make up for it. Humorous details are scattered throughout, some seemingly for the benefit of adult audiences. He uses bright colors in his watercolor-and-pencil artwork and ably conveys the sad fact that the emperor’s clothes, no matter how nice, cannot mask his lack of cool. The visual humor makes this a winner, and adults will appreciate the easy segue into conversations about honesty and what defines “cool” that are sure to follow.

PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY

Once Harper (Snow! Snow! Snow!) decides to set this familiar fairy tale in the polar regions (mixing up the penguins of Antarctica with the igloos of the Arctic, purists will note), the cool jokes just keep on coming. The emperor, a squat emperor penguin whose belt buckle says "EMPS," and his two hip hop fashion–loving subordinates, Frostbite the polar bear and Tusks the walrus, are hookwinked by a pair of sea lions, the devious Paul and Radford Rogue, who tell the emperor, "Our clothes are made with a special formula that makes them invisible to anyone who's not totally cool like you." The Rogues use the advance from the royal platinum card to do some shopping of their own. The main street of the polar kingdom features Nordicstrom and Cold Navy; familiar-looking arches and mermaids embellish the characters' drinks. It's a zippy parody, and Harper does a good job of linking the emperor's weakness to kids' need to wear the right clothes--though it's not clear whether the in-jokes undermine the prestige of fashionable culture or enhance it. Ages. 4–8. (Sept.)

Ready Or Not, Woolbur Goes To School

School Library Journal

Helakoski, Leslie. Ready or Not, Woolbur Goes to School! illus. by Lee Harper. 32p. HarperCollins. Jun. 2018. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780061366574.

PreS-K–Woolbur is a little sheep whose enthusiasm for life and all its unexpected challenges cannot be tamed, much like his wild wool hairstyle. He confidently asserts on the first day of school, “Let’s go!” while his parents wonder if he’s really ready. When he draws his name his own way, or paints outside the lines, his parents, teacher, and classmates often seem confused or worried, but he responds cheerfully, “I know, isn’t it great?” This encouraging refrain makes him a terrific role model in the class when his fellow farm animals have trouble waiting their turn or when they worry that the cafeteria grass might taste different than it does at home. At the end of the day, he returns home on the bus and asks his Ma if she’s ready for “A home-again kiss!” Harper’s illustrations lend humor and authenticity to the feelings of Woolbur’s classmates while showcasing his jubilant spirit. VERDICT In a long list of appealing back-to-school books, this one really makes the grade.–Jenna Boles, Greene County Public Library, Beavercreek, OH

KIRKUS REVIEW

An excited Woolbur bursts out of bed on the first day of school, confident and ready to take the experience by the horns (an intention that perhaps inspires the exuberant hairdo he has created with red string).

While Maa isn’t sure Woolbur is ready, Paa doubts the school’s readiness for Woolbur, and indeed, Woolbur is one character who is fairly bursting with personality, and he’s not at all concerned with what others think of him. No matter how positively criticism is couched or what his classmates’ complaints might be, Woolbur’s response is the same: “I know….Isn’t it great?” His creativity comes out in the way he writes his name and in his modern art piece, and he takes the school lunch and the noisiness and newness of the playground games in stride. The end of Woolbur’s day brings things full circle to a sweet tuck-in by his parents. The watercolor-and-pencil illustrations feature much the same things many readers will find in their own schools, only tweaked slightly to accommodate the anthropomorphized, multispecies animal cast (the salad bar is labeled “grain,” “hay,” “clover,” and “bones,” and the school bus is a hay-filled wagon pulled by a tractor). Careful observers will see his classmates begin to relax and enjoy their days, his attitude contagious.

Woolbur is an excellent role model of self-confidence and positivity. (Picture book. 5-8)

Publisher’s Weekly

The fiercely independent sheep introduced in Woolbur starts school in this infectious follow-up. On the first day of class, Woolbur prepares excitedly: he accents the wild spikes of wool on his head with red yarn, and he dons his bumblebee backpack. “Let’s go!” he exclaims. Woolbur tackles each new experience with aplomb. When classmates express doubt or anxiety throughout the day, Woolbur exuberantly chimes in with the refrain “Isn’t it great?” (“ ‘I can wait my turn,’ said Woolbur./ ‘But there are so many of us,’ said Llama/... ‘I know,’ said Woolbur./ ‘Isn’t it great?’ ”). His enthusiasm catches on, leaving the friendly-faced animals of Barnyard Elementary smiling and eager to return. Watercolor and pencil art captures the energy of the school day, as well as Woolbur’s cozy environment at home, underscoring the story’s upbeat, encouraging tone. Ages 4–8. (June)