Something Might Happen

September 1, 2003
The name of the trembling star of this hilariously hyperbolic tale—Twitchly Fidget—alone will elicit giggles. This scaredy-lemur ranks right up there with prior endearing animal protagonists created by these collaborators, including the title characters in the Tacky the Penguin books and Hooway for Wodney Wat. Twitchly lives in a tactically designed hut made of leaves: "No windows or door. Something might want to get in. And no roof. After all, a roof could cave in." His bug-eyes emphasize his nonstop anxiety. Twitchly refuses to eat cereal, lest the crunchy noises startle him, causing him to bump his head on the lamp. "He his sneakers especially scary. Suppose he put them on the wrong feet and he had to walk cross-legged for the rest of his life?" Not surprisingly, this stay-at-home bloke turns down his pals' invitations to go out (he fears attending a parade, for instance, where he could easily "get bopped with a drumstick or sucked up in a trombone"). Something does happen to this fearful fellow, but rather than the disaster he predicts at every turn of page, it is a "vidgit"—or visit—from his Aunt Bridget Fidget, who sets things right. Once again, Lester's and Munsinger's wry humor is impeccably in sync and on point. Twitchly just may teach kids who tend to twitch a lesson about facing fears. Ages 4-8.

September 1, 2003
PreS-Gr 2-A story full of wit, humor, and frivolity. Twitchly Fidget, a wide-eyed lemur, is afraid of just about everything. "No, nothing had happened to him. But it might." Imagining the worst possible scenario, he sequesters himself in his windowless, doorless hut to stay safe and unharmed. When his Aunt Bridget Fidget comes to visit, she evaluates the state of affairs and immediately takes charge. As she cares for Twitchly, he faces his fears and gains the gumption to face the world with confidence. Munsinger carries the amusing text to its most laughable and delightful extreme. She draws Twitchly's terrified, distressed, and befuddled expressions and each imaginary calamity with aplomb. Twitchly deserves to join the ranks of Lester's other heroes. A superb read-aloud.-Be Astengo, Alachua County Library, Gainesville, FL

Copyright 2003 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2003
PreS. Little lemur Twitchly Fidget is afraid of everything. He refuses to wash his fur because the shampoo bubbles might not rinse out. He's afraid to put on his sneakers because he might put them on the wrong feet. Worst of all, he's afraid to leave his house to join his friends. Then bossy Aunt Bridget arrives, and when she scrubs Twitchly's fur and puts his sneakers on his feet, Twitchly can't believe that nothing bad happens. Emboldened, he strides out to try all the things that he used to dread. Lester and Munsinger combine talents once again in a winning story that perfectly captures a preschooler's fears of independence. Lester elevates the story's simple message with upbeat words and appealing rhythms, while Munsinger's ink-and-watercolor pictures create an irresistible character in fretful Twitchly, saucer-eyed with fear at first, then beaming with pride by the story's end. Pair this with Kevin Henkes' " Wemberly Worried "(2000) and give to anxious children who think their sippy cup is always half empty.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)