The Snuggly

March 1, 2018
Preschool-G When Papa comes home with a snuggly to carry the new baby, Todd is fascinated. Todd places Banjo Bear in it, so he'll be close and safe, just like baby Ada. Wanting to show everyone at school, Todd marches off wearing his bear cozily wrapped up. Turns out snugglies are useful for many things. Todd picks up a cool cardboard tube to make a rocket, before his friends stuff in a library book, a snack, a baby kitten, and a jar of live tadpoles. As Todd shows the class his snuggly, it bursts! The pollywogs roll down the aisle, the lost kitten scampers away, and Banjo Bear flips onto a spilled jar of paint, causing Todd to conclude: A snuggly is good for just one thing. A baby . . . or a teddy bear. The vivid cartoonlike illustrations in colored pencil and ink show energetic scenes of people at work and play. The humorous pictures capture the various emotions on the children's faces as the faux backpack bursts, unloading its cargo in the catastrophic finale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

March 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 1-The birth of a new baby brings new emotions as well as new contraptions. On the day that Todd's new sibling arrived home, Papa also brought a "snuggly" (better known as an infant carrier) to wear to help keep baby Ada close and safe. Papa teaches Todd how to use a snuggly with his teddy bear, Banjo Bear. One day, Papa is leaving for work and Mama is busy tending to Ada, and Todd decides that no one would mind if he takes the snuggly to school with Banjo Bear inside. During his short walk to school, Todd encounters numerous friends who ask what he's wearing. Todd replies, "It's a snuggly. It keeps things close and safe." Upon hearing that, each friend gives Todd something to hold for them. More and more items are added to the snuggly until finally the it bursts-and so does Todd's emotions. Luckily, his teacher fixes the straps and provides some emotional support for the new big brother. A vivid palette of watercolor artwork complements the text by directly reflecting the actions and emotions of the characters. VERDICT A charming tale and a solid addition for one-on-one and small group sharing.-Kristen Todd-Wurm, Middle Country Public Library, NY

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2018
Boy meets snuggly, and it's love at first sight. In this new take on the old new-baby-sibling storyline, Huser eschews the usual brother-sister-bonding plots to ask an important question: how much stuff can you physically force into a baby carrier before it explodes? When Todd's parents return from the hospital with his baby sister, the boy is entranced by the soft carrier hanging off his father's chest. One day Todd accidentally-on-purpose takes the snuggly (as Papa calls it) to school, where its carrying capacity is pushed to the limit. By the time Todd makes it into his classroom, his snuggly is toting a stuffed bear, a cardboard tube (it'll make a good rocket), a book, a friend's snack, a cat, a jar of pollywogs, and his teacher's forgotten travel mug. Chaos ensues. Sadly, the art, done in colored pencils and inks in a gentle palette, is at odds with the book's internal mayhem. Todd and his world (almost entirely pale-skinned save for brown-skinned Anand) would be better accompanied by images up to the task of portraying both his wonder and hubris. The concluding lesson ("A snuggly is good for just one thing. A baby...or a teddy bear") may prove too limited a takeaway for its readership.A gentle offering that should have fully embraced its wild side. (Picture book. 4-7)

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