Holly's Day at the Pool

February 20, 2017
Most hippos love the water, but not the heroine of Shum’s first picture book, part of the Walt Disney Animation Studios Artist Showcase series. Holly has imagination to spare: when faced with the task of retrieving her sister’s favorite toy from a tree, Holly envisions herself climbing a mountain to rescue the piglet, Piggy Wig. But when it’s time to go to the pool, Holly’s flights of fancy aren’t quite so heroic. Decked out in a ruffled swimsuit, the small pink hippo asks her father a series of what-ifs as her worries play out dramatically. Concerned about the water being cold, Holly shivers on an iceberg; afraid of getting water in her eyes and ears, she recoils under a waterfall, while Daddy offers common-sense solutions (“Wipe the water away if it gets in your eyes”). A second chance to rescue Piggy Wig finally gets Holly in the water. Shum’s crisp, creamy illustrations never let Holly’s worst-case scenarios get too dark—they’re unlikely to provoke aquatic nervousness among readers—but the dialogue-driven text and tepid imagery don’t do much to move the story’s emotional needle. Ages 3–5.

February 15, 2017
A pink, suburban hippo is afraid to swim.As the book opens, Holly's imagining that she can rescue Piggy Wig, her younger sister's favorite stuffed toy, from a tree. (Although readers see her scaling an imaginary mountain, they never see her actually fetch the toy, but it is in little Dottie's hands in the next spread.) When Daddy arrives to take the siblings to the pool, Holly balks. Her overactive imagination creates an arctic scene with freezing water and then a scary forest waterfall. Daddy calms her down. Other scenarios follow, but each time her wise parent offers helpful suggestions. At the pool, which is full of friendly animals, Holly is still afraid, but when Piggy Wig falls in, Holly knows she must rescue him again. She starts slowly but follows Daddy's advice and successfully braves the pool to save the toy. Daddy praises her efforts, but Dottie reminds her sister of her fear of snapping turtles. Holly goes into anxiety mode, but the turtle invites her to play. The pastel-colored anthropomorphic animals have a retro, cartoony look, and the story is paced like an animated short. (Shum is a Disney animator.) The dialogue-driven story doesn't really go anywhere, Holly's final, expressed fear ("what if...I never want to leave?") completing her character arc but also lacking fizz. Useful to share with children who are afraid of the water. (Picture book. 3-5)

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April 1, 2017
PreS-K-Holly the hippo is so brave, she is the only one who can save Piggy Wig, her sister's favorite toy, when he is stuck in a tree. When Daddy suggests going to the pool, however, Holly lets her imagination run wild, asking, -What if...the water is too cold- and -What if...I get water in my eyes? Or my nose? Or my ears?- To each question, Daddy gives a reassuring answer. When the beloved toy falls in the pool, Holly's courage returns. She jumps in to rescue Piggy Wig and finds out she can handle swimming after all. Brightly colored illustrations have an animated cartoon quality and are paired with colored stylized lettering. VERDICT This story of overcoming fears at the swimming pool will resonate with preschoolers. A swell seasonal addition.-Ramarie Beaver, Plano Public Library System, TX

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