Gnome

March 2, 2020
Blunt (Santa Claus vs. the Easter Bunny) gives garden gnomes a lesson-laden origin story in this tale. With a permanent frown, Mr. Gnome has an obstinate attachment to the word no. “Say hello to the readers, Mr. Gnome,” the narrator requests. “No,” says Mr. Gnome, arms crossed in front of his belly. Asked if the narrator and readers can join his fishing trip, the white-bearded Mr. Gnome emerges from his mushroom home with a “NO!” Unsurprisingly, “NO” is also Mr. Gnome’s response to a request for help from a hedgehog with an apple lodged in his quills. When a witch appears and requests that Mr. Gnome stop fishing in her pond (to be fair, the sign says “no fishing”), it’s clear things won’t turn out well, and when the witch then turns Mr. Gnome to stone for being rude, it seems like a just punishment. But the moral twists when the narrator pleads for Mr. Gnome to be changed back and the witch, apparently an entrepreneur, refuses—turns out she’s in the stone garden gnome business. With a coldhearted capitalist for a witch, an irritatingly insistent narrator, and a curmudgeonly Gnome, Blunt presents an ensemble of characters that are each dislikable in their own way, and yet his scenes overall feel sunny and straightforward; it’s hard to know what kids will take away from this tale’s mixed message. Ages 4–9.

January 1, 2020
Mr. Gnome likes to say, "No!" The bearded little tyrant wants to be alone on his fishing excursion. "Say hello to the readers, Mr. Gnome," prompts the all-knowing narrator, whose delivery is reminiscent of mid-20th-century Disney documentaries. Mr. Gnome would rather not. Will he help out Mr. Hedgehog, who's got an apple wedged on his spines? "NO." The narrator politely asks Mr. Gnome if he likes juicy red apples, perhaps enough to assist Mr. Hedgehog. Doesn't he? "NO NO NO!" It's no use...but here comes Miss Witch. Respectfully, she asks Mr. Gnome if he can stop scaring her toads with his fishing. The rude, pint-size angler, of course, refuses in the most disagreeable manner possible. "Mr. Gnome might be making a big mistake..." observes the narrator. ZAP! Uh-oh, Mr. Gnome. It's time to join Miss Witch's stone gnome collection. A wickedly devious, humorous cautionary tale, Blunt's latest reminds readers that a little politeness just might save them from a rocky fate. The inclusion of the intrusive narrator--amid a cast of fantastical characters--lends a touch of whimsy to the whole ordeal, masking Mr. Gnome's rather grim fate behind a veneer of didactic friendliness. The artist's colorful, sprightly artwork is an impish delight, full of droll details needed for a vibrant world. The irascible gnome is white; Miss Witch is green. Gnome be rude...or else! (Picture book. 4-9)

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February 15, 2020
Grades K-2 Fans of Jon Klassen's more naturalistic outings will best appreciate the just desserts a surly gnome receives here. Sporting a fierce scowl in Blunt's loosely brushed cartoons, Mr. Gnome first gives viewers the brush-off ( Say hello to the readers, Mr. Gnome. ?No.' ) and then sits down at a pond to fish, shooing off a toad and brusquely refusing to help a passing hedgehog get rid of the apple stuck to its quills. That bad attitude comes back to bite, however, when he rudely ignores a witch's polite request to move along because he's scaring her toads. ZAP! Oh dear, as the unctuous narrator puts it, Mr. Gnome has been turned to stone. Worse yet, the witch proceeds to add him to a large collection of similarly fossilized mini-grumps?all of whom she offers for sale, hand-painted with big smiles on their faces. The episode thus serves up not only a cautionary lesson about the importance of good manners but also insight into the origins of a common garden ornament. Double the value!(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)