Comedy Times Two #2

Readers know you can't judge a book by its cover, but we also know a cover can be an incentive.  A cover can ask us to stop and look.  There, if we look closely enough, we see a bit of a story.  This bit of a story offers an overture to what might unfold in the body of the book. 

If there are characters portrayed on those jackets and cases, we can take clues from their facial expressions and body language.  We Love Fishing! (A Paula Wiseman Book, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, February 23, 2021) written by Ariel Bernstein with illustrations by Marc Rosenthal examines the concept of the word we.  In the events in this tale, there is a me who has a contrasting outlook.  Therein the comedy resides. 

Bear, Porcupine,

Otter, and Squirrel

love fishing.

When you keep reading each one, Bear, Otter, and Porcupine, issues individual statements in agreement, except for Squirrel.  Squirrel says---

They love fishing.

Bear, Porcupine, and Otter glorify the merits of fish consumption.  Squirrel can't stand the odor of fish.

Walking through the woods to get to the fishing spot is sheer delight for the exuberant trio.  Squirrel lacks even the slightest desire for exercise, finding fault with ever step taken.  As you can surmise, fishing from the boat is a pastime enjoyed by three and abhorred by a fourth.

When the rain begins, comments by Bear, Porcupine, and Otter are the height of optimism.  Squirrel laments the condition of his fur.  When it appears as though a fish is hooked, happiness is met with confusion.  Keeping the fish in the net, unfortunately is Squirrel's task.

A mishap is met with stunned silence . . .initially.  Will the bonds of friendship hold?  Only Fish knows.

The sentences written by author Ariel Bernstein and the rhythm they generate make this narrative a joy to read, silently or aloud.  First, we read a declarative statement, followed by three collaborative assertions and one dissenting remark.  What elevates the humor is Squirrel is apt to make several verbal observations, all in contrast to the majority opinion.  In the true style of a storyteller, Ariel Bernstein fashions a pause, a point of reflection, before the cadence resumes.  Here is a partial passage with a sentence by Otter and several, but not all, by Squirrel.

I don't know 

what I love more.

Walking or

fishing.

Can we take a taxi?

I stepped on

a pebble.

Ack! I see a fly!

Look at the cheery faces on Otter, Bear, and Porcupine on the front of the dust jacket.  Then, when you focus on Squirrel, you get a hint as to the divergence in points of view and fun to come.  The color choices imply a happy-go-lucky day outside in a relaxed natural setting.  The wide spine with the row of fish also offers a clue as to the upcoming happening.  The wide blue border continues on the back.  There we see Squirrel repelled by the slippery Fish, barely in the net.  Squirrel, the net, Fish and a small portion of the boat are set on the cream background.  The title text is raised and varnished.  The fish on the spine border are varnished.

On the book case, on a canvas of the same bright blue as the spine border, the image from the back of the jacket is placed in a smaller circle.  On the front is the same illustration as on the front of the jacket, smaller, and framed by an oval blue-green line.  Bordering that line is an wider oval of cream, framed in a green line.  Within this is the Fish pattern.  This is placed on the bright blue background.

On the matching opening and closing endpapers, we are greeted with an underwater scene. Waves in varied shades of turquoise are a superb canvases for fishes and Fish.  They are swimming in two different directions.  Bubbles form in two vertical rows, top to bottom, one on the left side and one on the right side.  Fish is approaching the hook on a line.  On the title page the foursome is gathered, three gleeful about fishing and Squirrel totally grumpy.

These images by Marc Rosenthal 

were rendered in Prismacolor pencil and digital color.

White, cream, is a strong element in all the pictures.  Texture, shading and light figure prominently.  The illustrations shift in size to accentuate the pacing.  Readers will enjoy all the added details; the lures in Bear's collection, Otter's love of supreme ice cream sundaes, Porcupine's intensity, tongue out, as he fishes, and Squirrel's passion for acorns.  

One of my many favorite illustrations spans two pages.  It features a close-up of the red and yellow boat ono the lake.  Bear, eyes closed, is stretched out on his back in the bow of the boat.  A pole behind him has a line in the water.  Over him Porcupine holds a reel and pole with another line in the water.  At the end of Bear's feet, Otter, wearing his fisherman's cap, holds the net.  On the back seat Squirrel sits, hands on either side of his face.  Just off the right side of the stern, Fish is poking its head above the water.  This picture complements the text splendidly.

Throughout all our lives, our friendships will always be tested.  In this book, We Love Fishing! written by Ariel Bernstein with illustrations by Marc Rosenthal, the art of compromise, amid grumbling, is displayed wonderfully, full of laughter and yes, love.  You will enjoy having this title as a part of your personal and professional collections.  It's sure to promote discussions after the giggling dies away.

To discover more about Ariel Bernstein and Marc Rosenthal and their other work, please access their websites by following the link attached to their names.  Ariel Bernstein has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Marc Rosenthal has accounts on Facebook and Instagram.  At the publisher's website you can view interior illustrations.

Sometimes as soon as you read a title aloud, bursts of laughter can be heard throughout the gathered listeners during a story time.  Certain words are overloaded with hilarity.  That hilarity, though, can vanish in a second if the word is used to diminish an individual's character or worth.

Don't Call Me Fuzzybutt! (Sleeping Bear Press, March 15, 2021) written by Robin Newman with illustrations by Susan Batori shows us how anger can escalate.  In that anger, civility is set aside.  Taking the high road seems out of reach.  The Golden Rule is forgotten.

Bear needed a lot of sleep.  Two hundred and

forty-three and a half days, to be precise.

Anything less and he turned grizzly.

In addition to needing the specified number of days for sleep, Bear could hear the softest noise.  He could hear the sound of one raindrop.  It woke him up.

He fashioned attire to block out noise.  Through signs, he notified his neighbors of his need for silent sleep.  And he cut down trees to make a soundproof door.  On his first hibernation day, he went blissfully to sleep until . . . 

PECK!

PECK!

PECK!

woke him up.

What Bear did not know was the trees he cut down were architectural wonders created by Woodpecker.  Woodpecker was dismayed to find all his homes were gone.  Rabbit, Mouse, and Squirrel had no clue as to the disappearance of said structures.

Woodpecker hung up flyers offering a reward.  He finally noted sections of his houses strewn in a path to Bear's new den door.  Using his signature work ethic, Woodpecker was taking back what was his.

With every peck, Bear's frustration grew.  He roared.  Outside his den, he asked a question horrifying Rabbit, Mouse, and Squirrel at the use of one word.  Woodpecker heard it and confronted Bear.  Bear stomped back inside and fell asleep.

Considering his ability to hear even the softest sound, Woodpecker unintentionally woke Bear again, this time with a different noise.  In a much longer encounter, tempers of both parties flared into a nasty blaze of name-calling.  Two wounded individuals called a truce and constructed a plan.  After two hundred and forty-three and a half days, spring was not the only renewal enjoyed by forest friends.

With her first three sentences, author Robin Newman opens the door for a problem to enter.  The slight tension increases when we learn of Bear's hearing abilities.  With the presentation of Woodpecker's dilemma, we understand a clash is coming.

Robin Newman uses the storytelling rule of three with skill.  The repetition of key phrases and application of alliteration provide a cadence welcoming reader participation.  The combination of descriptive dialogue and equally illuminating narrative achieve a flawless flow.  Here are two passages.

Before Bear could say "salmon and honey on toasted pumpernickel bread," he was asleep.

But lately his houses were disappearing.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO MY RUSTIC RANCH,

COZY COTTAGE, AND SOLAR-POWERED DUPLEX?"

Woodpecker went looking.

On the double-page image spread from the left to the right, back to front, on the matching dust jacket and book case, readers are given a view of Bear's den with the door built from Woodpecker's houses, the autumn forest with its golden glow, and the cast of characters.  Clearly Woodpecker and Bear are disgruntled.  Rabbit, Mouse, and Squirrel are skittish about what has happened and about what might happen next.  Illustrator Susan Batori first exhibits her inclusion of tiny details in the flight of the honeybee above the final title word and in the items on and near Bear's den.

The opening and closing endpapers are a crisp white.  Bear and Woodpecker, with angry glances and arms-crossed stances, are on the title page.  The other three creatures are looking at them, afraid.

To enhance and complement the pacing of the story Susan Batori employs a blend of full-page pictures crossing the gutter, smaller insets grouped together, full-page pictures, edge to edge, and dramatic double-page pictures.  Emotions are heightened with alternating perspectives.  We are brought close to characters or given a larger view of their forest setting, even from a bird's eye view.  

What is notable about these images are the facial features on the characters, specifically the eyes.  The wide-eyed looks convey a range of emotions.  Underlying the seriousness of what unfolds, there is a current of humor in the pictures and individual items.  Bear's nightshirt includes a pattern of honeybees.  On the flyer Woodpecker posts it reads:

WANTED

(pictures of houses)

REWARD

BUGS

One of my many favorite pictures is a single-page picture toward the end of the story.  It's a close-up of Bear all snuggled in bed, dreaming of a honeybee and its honeycomb.  He is wearing his knitted cap and earmuffs.  His teddy bear is under the covers with him as he sleeps.  Off to the left side is Woodpecker, wing to his beak, making the SHHH gesture.

Relevant and timely, Don't Call Me Fuzzybutt! written by Robin Newman with illustrations by Susan Batori will engage readers from beginning to end with the clever, rhythmic language and lively pictures.  This book is guaranteed to inspire discussions and group projects.  I hope you will all add a copy to your personal and professional collections.  

By following the link attached to Robin Newman's and Susan Batori's names, you can access their websites learning more about them and their other work.  Robin Newman has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Susan Batori has accounts on Behance, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  The cover reveal with an essay by Robin Newman is hosted at Nerdy Book Club.  At Books of Wonder on March 13, 2021, there is a virtual launch.  You can view some portions of interior illustrations in Susan Batori's Instagram feed.  Here is the link to a post on Robin Newman's Facebook page for a follow-up activity. 

 

How Do They Know?

Any belief I may have harbored about comprehending any dog's, my dog's, keen sense of smell, hearing, sight and the innate ability to determine the needs of humans no longer exists.  Personal experience has taught me their skills at living life best far exceed mine now or in the future.  When you stop to consider their life span at its best is one-fifth (or one-sixth if we're lucky) of ours, their accomplishments are incredible.

How is it they are in a heartbeat able to discern friend or foe?  How is it they can sense a person's mood without a single conversational exchange? Kathi Appelt, Newbery Honor-winning author of The Underneath and illustrator Marc Rosenthal, I Must Have Bobo!, I'll Save You Bobo! and Bobo the Sailor Man!, combine their significant talents in a newly released title, Mogie: The Heart of the House (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division).  Prepare to be filled with pure joyful love.

Right smack in the heart of the Big City
is a very special house.

This house is home to many families offering them comfort in style and furnishings, a library filled with books, a very large kitchen, an inside tree house and a gigantic fireplace.  All the families, who call this place theirs, come with their children; children from every corner of the world.  Once a boy named Gage came there.  This boy who people said

"He's got mojo!

is too sick to do the things he loves, to do the things that make him who he is.

Like most homes, this very special house has rules.  One guideline, to be noted above all others and of importance to this story, is

No puppies!

With that being said, let's go to another remarkable house.  In this comfy residence there are not one but ten puppies. Some are meant to be service dogs.  Others are to be trained for Search-and-Rescue.  Four are destined to be paraded in shows.  One...and you know who I mean...Mogie is all play and no work.

This pup has a mind of his own.  You know what he does?  He walks into the

very special house right smack in the heart of the Big City.

Everything and everyone in that home means nothing to him but Gage.  It is like the two are tied together with unbreakable string.

Mogie tries all his doggie tricks to lift Gage's spirits but he realizes what Gage really needs.  The two can be seen sitting side by side looking outside the window.  For Gage's eyes only Mogie's antics one day stir memories of a healthy boy with mojo.  

You won't believe who gets better.  You won't believe who gets to stay at the very special house with the No puppies! rule.  You won't believe who still looks outside the window but is now tied with unbreakable string to sweet Antonia whose cha-cha-cha is missing.  I'm here to tell you to believe because all this is the truth.  You can bet your sweet paws on it.


The next best thing to being there is having Kathi Appelt tell the tale. Her word combinations are like hot chocolate with marshmallows, a cozy blanket on a cold night and snuggling with your favorite stuffed animal; soothing, smooth and comforting.  Expertly weaving a spell with her storyteller's gift she creates a sense of place and purpose in her characters.  Using language like a composer she fashions rhythmic melodies sometimes repeating a cadence to further bind readers to her story.  Here is a single excerpt.

Give Gage a tune and he'd make up silly rhymes for it.
Give Gage a windy day and he'd fly a kite. Give Gage a beach
and he'd build a sand castle that scraped the sky.


Upon opening the matching dust jacket and book case readers are greeted with Marc Rosenthal's uplifting, charming picture of Mogie in front of the very special house with sick children on either side of him.  The cooler colors in the background blend beautifully with the bright red of the title, Mogie's collar and the fuzzy warmth of Mogie's coat.  On the back readers are treated to a real life portrait of Mogie, spirited pooch living at the Ronald McDonald House Houston.  Opening and closing endpapers in shades of blue feature a pattern of miniature Mogie in various poses.

Rendered in pencil, charcoal and digitally the illustrations wrap around the text, enhance the narrative with single and double page pictures, and depict a range of emotions.  The selection of colors lends itself to a natural feel for each portrayal.  You want to reach out and touch them; they are full of life.

One of my favorite visuals is of Mogie dreaming, lying on his back, four paws in the air. (This is a sure sign of contentment.)  He sees himself running alongside a healthy Gage.  This particular page follows Gage lying in bed remembering himself as a boy who liked to throw balls, do back flips and build skyscraper sand castles.


If you want a heartwarming title based upon a true story, look no further than Mogie: The Heart of the House written by Kathi Appelt with illustrations by Marc Rosenthal.  Destined to be a favorite, Mogie and his role at the Ronald McDonald House Houston will be a story requested over and over as a read aloud anytime, anywhere. The last line of the book says it all.

Who wouldn't love a dog like that?

An author's note at the back explains how Kathi Appelt met Mogie and the book evolved.  Don't forget to follow the links to the author's and illustrator's websites by following those embedded in their names.  Here is a link to an article about Kathi Appelt and Mogie in the LaunchPad.  This link to the publisher's website contains four short video interviews with Kathi Appelt.

Sailing Away

Comfort can be found and felt in the smallest of things.  The smell of bayberry candles reminds me of my Dad's smile and laughter; it was his favorite scent. The taste of hot chocolate reminds me of all those mornings counting the bubbles on top of a fresh hot mug; each representing a monetary amount.  The sight of Xena lying at my feet as I write and read reminds me of the countless hours we've spent walking and running.

Children find solace in a favorite blanket, stuffed animal, story or in the company of those who love them; as we all do.  In this third tale, Willy continues to find companionship with Bobo, his sock monkey.  Earl, the family cat, is never far behind, ready to steal Bobo away.  The entertaining trio is off on another adventure in Bobo The Sailor Man! (Atheneum Books For Young Readers) written by Eileen Rosenthal with illustrations by Marc Rosenthal.

This morning Willy woke up with a plan.

Not only is Willy taking Bobo exploring but he has BIG ideas.  The exuberance of Willy is contagious; knowing they might uncover dinosaur bones or, as improbable as it might be, a volcano.  With Willy and company a patch of mushrooms is not just a patch of mushrooms; they must be poisonous.

Each new item, acorns, a caterpillar, a stick, and a forgotten comb, are discovered treasures.  Their place in the world is elevated by Willy's imagination.  Cloud gazing reveals a menagerie of creatures past and present.

An abandoned pail by a nearby river, sends the ever present and most willing, Bobo on an unexpected voyage.  Willy can't run fast enough and the rocks are far too slippery to get Bobo back.  With a stern command to Earl to watch over Bobo, (as if he is not always doing so anyway), Willy runs off to get help.

What we see and Willy fails to see, will have readers giggling to their hearts' content.  Who's the rescuer and rescued?  Water trips, sailor hats and afternoon naps tell the tale.  And Earl...let's say he has the last laugh...again.

In each story Eileen Rosenthal, has created characters we want for friends.  The persistence and determination of Earl are to be admired.  No one would ever have a bad day with Willy's zest for life, his optimism, and his willingness to find joy at every opportunity.  Told entirely in Willy's conversations and thoughts, except for the first sentence, we can easily place ourselves in the middle of the action.

Bright yellow on the matching jacket and cover immediately attracts the viewer to the latest installment in the adventures of Willy, Bobo and Earl.  The contrasting vibrant red text, pail and boots hint at events to come.  As in the two previous titles, the back features Willy, clad in his pajamas, intent on his next undertaking, holding Bobo as he and Earl gaze out a window.

Plain pale yellow covers the opening and closing endpapers, with one exception.  In the lower right-hand corner of the beginning sits a tiny newspaper sailor hat.  Like the other two titles, the verso information takes on a specific shape.  This time it forms a pail.  

Drawn in pencil and colored digitally, Marc Rosenthal infuses each illustration with lively emotion.  For the most part chocolate brown lines define the settings with color filling in the characters and those elements specific to the narrative.  Text size accentuates the emotions flowing around several small illustrations on a page, single page pictures or the expressive double page spreads.  I think my favorite two pages are a series of six small pictures of Bobo's rescue.  I can't look at them without smiling.

The wife and husband team of Eileen Rosenthal and Marc Rosenthal have created another lighthearted winner in Bobo The Sailor Man!  Whether shared one-on-one or in a group setting, readers will fall in love all over again with these characters.  I would even venture to say, there might be more requests for lovable sock monkeys this Christmas season.  Bobo dressed in his bumblebee black and yellow is hard to resist.

If you want to discover more about the author and illustrator please follow the link embedded in their names to access their official websites.  Here is a link to the Simon & Schuster website for a look at more pages from the title.  It includes four activity pages to extend the fun of Willy and his friends. Here are links to my reviews of I Must Have Bobo! and I'll Save You Bobo!  For more sock monkey fun I would pair this with the series by author Cece Bell and Emily Gravett's book, Monkey and Me.

The Wait Is Over...The Plot Thickens

The intrepid trio is back.  And I couldn't be happier. When we first met Willy, Bobo and Earl in I Must Have Bobo!(Atheneum Books For Young Readers) by Eileen Rosenthal, illustrated by Marc Rosenthal, I could hardly wait for this next installment.

As in the first book, it is crystal clear in I'll Save You Bobo! (Atheneum Books For Young Readers) wherever Bobo is, Earl is close at hand and wherever Willy is, Bobo is next to him or nearby.

WILLY IS HAVING A HARD TIME READING...
GO AWAY, EARL.

In typical fashion Earl is trying to weasel Bobo away from Willy.  Snuggled in a big easy chair Willy is reading a dinosaur book to Bobo eager to reach the "survival of the fittest" section boys so love, only to discover it's not what he expected.  Not to worry, he and his stuffed monkey BFF, Bobo, are going to become authors.

Crayons and paper spread across the floor Willy begins their adventure drawing as he narrates to Bobo.  Beginning in a jungle, a big green jungle, with huge trees, a snake with a red tongue, poison mushrooms and wait...stop...Bobo and Willy in the story have a tent!  Two chairs and a sheet later the story continues wild animals everywhere, especially the tiger with huge teeth climbing toward Bobo as he explores among the trees. 

Unbeknownst to Willy, Earl has been climbing up the chair bringing the precarious tent crashing down.  Completely disgusted Willy stalks away, supplies and Bobo in hand, as an equally disgusted Earl watches.  Cozily perched on his knees Willy starts over at a table. 

This jungle is more dangerous than the preceding one, filled with vines and cat-eating snakes.  Poor Earl it would seem, has been consumed by a vicious jungle snake.  Pleased as he can be, Willy concludes his story.

But is it really the end?  It's surprising what a cat tail can feel like to a bare foot.  Who saves Bobo, indeed!

Eileen Rosenthal has a knack for striking the exact emotional tone of Willy's speech to Earl as well as in his storytelling skills as a young author.  Clever word choices place Willy in control of the day's adventures, in and out of his imagination, at least from his point of view.  Concise sentences provide  the perfect opportunity for Marc Rosenthal's complimentary artwork.

Creamy, rich, golden endpapers extend to supply the backdrop for the illustrations throughout the book.  In this tale Earl is prominently pictured in the lower right hand corner of the front endpapers patiently awaiting the page turn; this cat is the Prince of patience, of perseverance.  Warm brown pencil drawings are filled in digitally with basic colors, colors from Willy's box of crayons.

Visual thought bubbles appear above Willy depicting a more mature rendition of his childlike artwork; artwork doing more than telling a story.  With his usual attention to detail Rosenthal has Earl, back arched hair standing on end mouth in a scared yowl, gazing in horror at one of those snakes with long, red, forked tongues.  On the floor earnestly at work, Willy has his tongue out also. 

You have to love Bobo, inanimate dressed in his black and yellow sweater, the object that binds these two family members together in their tug-of-war for his attention.  Author Eileen Rosenthal and illustrator Marc Rosenthal bring their delicious blend of humor to I'll Save You Bobo! endearing more readers to these charming characters.  One-on-one or as a group read aloud these two titles are story time favorites.

For more about Marc Rosenthal here is a link to an interview he gave at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast on October 4, 2011.  To see other images in this newest title follow this link to the Simon & Schuster web page.

It Begins In The Chill of Winter But Lasts Forever

As swirls of chilly white spiral through the air and winds howl around the house, how fitting to be holding Making A Friend by Alison McGhee with illustrations by Marc Rosenthal in my hands.  With the onset of winter comes the promise of creating a being from the snow; of having that child at the heart of us become a chief architect, builder and creator.  McGhee's and Rosenthal's collaboration on this title sheds new light on being young, on how the simplest activity can resonate throughout our lives. 

Using single words, a phrase, a group of thoughts or a short highly visual sentence McGhee brings readers into the experience of a young boy as he senses a shift from fall into winter, his dreams are filled with thoughts of it.  Upon wakening one morning to a world of white we celebrate in his wonder, joy and formation of a snowman step by step complete with his own red cap for a topping.  Though the man of snow is silent a friendship is formed.

When the warmth of spring leaves only the stick arms, red cap, carrot nose, and pebble eyes and mouth the youth asks: 

Where did you go?  Where did he go?

In subsequent pages he sees him in falling water, rain upon the ocean, fog in the hollow and in the frost upon the panes of a window.

As the months pass it becomes cooler, leaves change color and fall.  Ice appears on the lake, snow drifts down coating his surroundings.  The boy's friend comes back, made by his own hand.  What sets this tale apart is an idea that Alison McGhee introduces during the summer and repeats in the fall and winter,

What you love will always be with you.  

Friendships once formed whether that being is visible or not are still friendships.  A bond cemented with love is forever.  A simple joy is not forgotten.  These are the threads woven through the fabric of this charming story.

Pencil illustrations digitally manipulated by Marc Rosenthal bring a timelessness to the story; they could be fifty years ago or yesterday.  Body language and facial expressions leave no doubt in the readers' minds as to what the boy is thinking or feeling.  Using shades of primary colors to enhance his brown line renderings Rosenthal enhances McGhee's narration as well as providing several wordless pages that give his personal perceptive perspective to the storyline.

Attention to detail sets his illustrations apart; during the first snowfall a single window upstairs casts a yellow glow, a snowman's body appears in the clouds.  When the boy missing his friend muses about his whereabouts, his face appears in the ripples of the pond, a frosty square of glass or formed on the ground from cones and stones.  What you love is always with you permeates throughout each visual.

Recall those fond memories of the first snowfall, crafting your own personal snow being and the joy of those crisp, clear days spent in the wonder of winter Making a Friend.  Rest assured that in the capable hands of author, Alison McGhee and illustrator, Marc Rosenthal, that what has been lost is never truly gone.  Revel in their gift of taking less is more to an art form.

Pair this with The Biggest, Best Snowman by Margery Cuyler, Stranger in the Woods:  A Photographic Fantasy by Carl R. Sams, The Snowman's Path by Helena Clare Pittman, The First Day of Winter by Denise Fleming, Snowmen at Night by Caralyn and Mark Buehner or Snowballs by Lois Ehlert.

Sock Monkeys Forever and Always

I carried my sock monkey everywhere, we were inseparable.  (I still have him saved; loved to pieces nearly and after all this time, clearly fitting into the category of antique.)  I guess that's why it is so easy for me to identify with Willy in I Must Have Bobo!  Eileen Rosenthal, in this title, her debut as a picture book author, has penned a timeless story of that unique bond between a child and their stuffed

animal friend.

As soon as Willy hops out of bed in the morning, something is missing, Bobo.  Arms uplifted,  spread wide he loudly exclaims:

I NEED BOBO.

Bobo helps him figure out whether a bug is friendly or not.  Bobo is fearless on the playground and walking past the big dog behind the fence.  Willy can not function without Bobo.

But then, yes, there is a tail peeking out beneath the covers.  Lifting them, Willy discovers Bobo held in the arms of Earl, the family cat.  Carrying Bobo safely in his arms, Willy heads to breakfast unaware of the look of disgust on Earl's furry face.

As Earl calculatingly observes from the sidelines Willy relates to readers what Bobo does and does not like; in fact it is what he does and does not like.  Readers watch as that rascal Earl sneaks up grabbing Bobo by his tail pulling him away from Willy.  HEY EARL!  Fiddlesticks, caught again.

Waiting patiently as only a feline can, Earl seeks another opportunity to nab Bobo and does just that.  Willy seeks high and low for the pair.  What Willy eventually does discover is that, perhaps, he is not the only one in need of companion.  Who indeed will have the last laugh..er..hold on Bobo?

Drawn in pencil and digitally colored illustrations pop out in shades of primary colors on heavy creamy yellow pages.  Marc Rosenthal, Eileen's husband, has several children's books that he has both authored and illustrated to his credit as well as illustrating titles by other authors.  Here his art is distinctive, simple but descriptive.

In the beginning when Bobo is first missing three thought circles come from Willy's mind as he shouts out.  On the next three pages those thought circles are enlarged as canvases for the three pictures of why Willy needs Bobo.  Readers will note that the author and illustrator names on the cover appear as drag motion lines for the arms of Bobo. So too is the publication information across a double page spread as Bobo disappears off the right edge of the page.  Attention to detail is everything.

The thick sketchy brown lines not colored (only the characters have color) add to the nostalgic feel of the visuals complimenting the brown text; except when large black block letters are used to show anger in Willy and tiny black letters are used in a speech bubble for Earl.  Marc Rosenthal is accomplished at conveying so much with subtle shifts of his pencil.  Readers know exactly what Willy and Earl are thinking and Bobo has that same tolerant expression that sock monkeys wear so well.

The jacket flap states that this is the first collaborative project of Eileen and Marc Rosenthal but the polished, pleasing results are indicative of two minds that think as one.  I Must Have Bobo! is as comforting as your cherished stuffed friend and its effects will have you smiling long after the cover is closed.

I'll Save You Bobo! is set to appear in April of 2012.  Must we wait so long?