Jarrett Pumphrey

This is one of THE MOST FUN read-alouds! Did it with all my K-1st grade classes and they loved it ("SMACK! SPLASH!"). There's also a lesson about being open-minded and curious rather than making assumptions, a moment of tension (should the mouse accept the ride across the river from the gator?), and some serious consequences. Brilliant.

See also: What A Lucky Day!

2023 Mock Caldecott
Illustration observations: Muted colors in a nature palette (brown, gray, green, pale blue). The color of the show more text in the speech bubbles matches the color of the animal speaking (mouse, squirrel, rat, rabbit). show less

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Norton Young Readers (W.W. Norton & Company) for this DRC in exchange for a fair and honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed below are my own.

In some respects, I am a very simple bibliophile. I see a book by the Pumphrey Brothers; I must read it. The vehicle of choice in this entry in their "The Old..." series is a well-built sleigh, one that delivers firewood (and good memories) to the people in a small town., courtesy of a young boy and show more his father. The little town grows into a bigger one, and so does the need for firewood, which causes the trusty sleigh to break down. Through some clever thinking, the boy and his father find a way to keep the tradition going and preserve the sleigh, and the sense of community, for the future.
This was a warmhearted read, one which ends in the same place as it began, albeit with a new perspective. Pumphreys excel at using sparse, yet evocative language to set the tone, letting the illustrations speak for themselves and help carry the story. The subtle details show the progression of things like the town’s growth and the sleigh’s wear and tear with the passage of time, which also includes generations of new customers. The color palette is simple with a lot of warm red touches, which serve as a nice contrast to the cold winter scenes. I love the way that the snow is shown here, and how the book characters move around in it.
I also loved the way that the authors laid out the solution to the central problem. The boy and his father not only meet the town’s growing needs by repurposing the sleigh (in a way that I won’t give away here, but it’s lovely); they don’t compromise their core methods of delivery and relationship with the environment. Life changes, as it will, and it’s possible to respond to those changes without giving up altogether what is important. This adds a very nuanced touch to the book, and it comes across well. As with the previous books in the series, readers see the young boy growing up and carrying on his father’s work with the sleigh, once that children will notice as he starts to make deliveries on his own.
The theme of respecting the environment, one that is common in the Pumphrey Brothers’ works, also plays an important role in the story, which parents and caregivers can talk about with their children. The phrase about how the sleigh “gave more than it took” is a powerful one that I loved, and which is detailed in the illustrations. The sleigh itself is fashioned from wood, which was taken from a tree, yet none of it has been wasted in that the sleigh is being used many times over. The same is true for the firewood and lumber that people receive. The wood is used to heat their homes, yet the book shows how the forests are not over-harvested as the boy and his father never take more than they need, with leaves plenty of trees available to grow.
Although this isn’t explicitly a holiday book, this would be a perfect read for the holiday and winter seasons, and a good addition to any library or classroom’s themed books on the subject. This is another book that I’d add to my own collection to revisit its warmth. show less

Four friends decide to form a club, but first they need a sign. What should the sign say? And for that matter, what should the club be called?

Book-ended by the familiar Elephant and Piggie characters, this title has all the humor of that series while maintaining a limited vocabulary for beginning readers to sound out on their own or with minimal assistance. This particular title puts an emphasis on words ending with -at, making it a fun way to learn about that specific word family.

As show more always, there’s a brief cameo by The Pigeon, who I just love a character and as a hidden image in the Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! series. show less

Pre-read Squee:

The author of [b:Truck: A Love Story|73967|Truck A Love Story|Michael Perry|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386921704l/73967._SY75_.jpg|71564], my favorite, [a:Michael Perry|2772479|Michael Perry|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1231631186p2/2772479.jpg], would appreciate this. His daughters are past picture-book age, but his oldest is, iiuc, so much like the character in this book that she'd love it anyway. And maybe grandkids are on show more the way. I'll have to recommend it to him, if it doesn't disappoint me.

Guess what! Two of the libraries picked it up on their own initiative, and my local one already has it ready for me after I requested it!!
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Done! My only complaint? Too short! Absolutely lovely, and enjoyable, and important. Black girls can be farmers! And mechanics! Just look at the charming pictures, over and over again, to see for yourself! Ok, sorry for so many exclamation points, but seriously, this is a book that should be in every public library in North America and many classrooms, too.

Btw, as most of you know, I have no connection with the publishing industry, no reason to promote books I don't love, no membership in ARC programs, no social media except this, goodreads. You can take my word for it - this is a book to love, a book worthy of the buzz. show less