I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
SHORT VERSION: A sweet, surprisingly deep story about balancing responsibilities with pursuing drI received this book in exchange for an honest review.
SHORT VERSION: A sweet, surprisingly deep story about balancing responsibilities with pursuing dreams. Children will empathize with the characters, and adults will enjoy the details and theme.
EXTENDED EDITION: Ben Loory has written a crafty tale about the unfortunate choice between work and passion. While the recommended age for this book is 5-8 year olds, I (mother, writer, artist) read it to my four-year-old son. He enjoyed it and was emotionally attached to both the baseball player and the walrus. I don't want to give spoilers, but when I asked him what he didn't like and what he liked about the book, his answers were dependent on the emotional state of the characters, rather than, like, a dragon or explosion or something "cool." I can't recall him empathizing with a picture book character before now, so that's something I'm really pleased about. That's why I advocate all people read—reading makes us empathetic humans. Every online troll should read picture books with empathetic characters. Maybe they'd learn something.
Oh, the preschooler also said he liked the walrus' tusks. So there's that.
RECOMMENDED FOR
Besides trolls who need a lesson, I'd recommend this book to elementary teachers during read-aloud time, since some of the words might be difficult for early readers. But I'd also recommend it to high school seniors and adults. The subtext and some of the humor will be appreciated by adults who live the dilemma posed in the book, asking themselves whether it's more important to have "lots and lots and lots of money" and a job they succeed at, like the baseball player, or to invest time and energy into something more fulfilling.
On our first read through, the theme spoke to me as a mom trying to decide between working full time and staying at home. But on the second read, it spoke more to me as a creative, one who is constantly deciding between good paying jobs and really exciting ones.
Have you ever heard the quote "You can never step into the same book twice, because you are different each time you read it"? It's attributed to John Barton. I think it only applies to books with relatable, human experiences. With theme and subtext.
It applies to this book.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Alex Latimer's illustrations are packed with amusing details that demand encore reads. My favorite are the suitcases overflowing with bills and fish, and the trophies scattered haphazardly on the bedroom floor.
RATING Why four stars instead of five? Four stars means I really liked it. Five stars is reserved for my absolute favorites. While I really enjoy this book, I wasn't blown away by the diction. Not that there was anything wrong with the text. But to rate this a five-star would be unfair to the books that have truly outstanding prose. It's like when ten people tie for first place: even if the next top score is only one point off, the person is still considered eleventh place instead of second. Totally sucks comparing this to those books, but life isn't fair, and rating is subjective....more
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