Sophie's Animal Parade

March 9, 2015
Sophie’s drawings, whether they’re of cupcakes or polar bear cubs, tend to spring to life. Is it magic or Sophie’s imagination at work? Dixon (Marathon Mouse) isn’t telling, but it’s clear that this sort of power isn’t easy to manage. Lonely, Sophie summons one animal after another, but her room is too warm for the polar bear and too short for a giraffe, and a duck would rather splash in a kiddie pool than play hide-and-seek. Sophie solves these and other problems with additional drawings (soon, a turtle, elephant, and penguins are in the mix), but it isn’t until she meets a boy who loves animals as much as she does that her desire for friendship is sated. Newcomer Wish’s watercolors have an appealing retro cuteness, though they remain too tidy and pretty to truly capture the chaos and “colossal mess” that eventually drive Sophie and her animals outdoors. And for all that Dixon’s story revels in imaginary (or magical) fun, the takeaway is that real relationships are what matter. Ages 3–5. Author’s agent: Karen Grencik, Red Fox Literary.

July 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 1-"Everything Sophie drew came to life. Mama called it Sophie's imagination. Sophie called it magic." So begins this exploration of a child on a quest to find a friend. Sophie starts with drawing a polar bear cub, followed by a duck, and a giraffe. Unfortunately, the animals she creates all have issues in their new environment; the polar bear is too warm, the duck needs a swimming pool, and the ceiling is too low for the giraffe. Sophie adds even more animals to her group (a pony, a turtle, a penguin, and an elephant) in an attempt to address the concerns, but she realizes each of her new additions only bring further problems. When Sophie leads the animals in a parade, she meets a friendly boy, who claims to be an expert lion tamer, perfect for joining Sophie in all the wild fun. Thin lines and fully developed spreads add stylish details to this animal menagerie. VERDICT This story celebrates the power of the imagination and serves as a solid addition to many collections.-Meg Smith, Cumberland County Public Library, Fayetteville, NC

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