A Wonderful Year

Starred review from October 27, 2014
Bad Kitty creator Bruel alternates between goofy humor and gentle reflection in four seasonal episodes starring an unnamed girl in a small town. “Winter Wear” hams it up as family members, pets, and even household objects remind the girl to dress warmly before she goes out. “You’d better wear your gloves,” a purple hippo named Louise calls out. “You’d better wear your hat,” says the refrigerator. “Spring Splendor,” a quieter episode, shows the girl and her dog trying to enlist the cat in their make-believe game with an improvised ballad. “Summer Sidewalks” goes for broke as the girl and Louise the hippo walk along the sidewalk, the girl melts in the heat—literally—and Louise tries reconstituting her in the freezer, her hippo physique adding an extra layer of comedy as she waddles between the freezer and a TV show about a can of beans. In “Fall Foliage,” the girl and a tree ponder the significance of losing all one’s leaves, and the story circles around to the beginning. Bruel offers surefire readaloud laughs as well as space for pondering. Ages 2–6.

Starred review from October 15, 2014
A comics-style look at the seasons in four short episodes of buffoonery. Bruel examines winter first. A girl is excited to play in the snow. However, everyone reminds her to bundle up. Key characters seen again in later stories all pop in to suggest what to wear (the most obvious of her advisers being her mother and father, but a large purple hippo, a tree, a refrigerator and a can of beans weigh in as well). Alas, when she has finally put on all of the clothing, the weather has changed to spring. She slips out of her snowsuit and waves goodbye as the whole outfit walks away, ready to return next year. Bruel creates a clever concept book using dynamic storytelling and infusing each season with droll humor. Spring proves fertile ground for the girl's exuberant imagination, summer's heat makes her melt away-literally-and fall leads her to discover the perfect use for the very last leaf of a tree. Each tale is interconnected (it all takes a metafictive turn in the end), and the sparsely paneled comics style keeps the story's focus where it belongs-on its endearing, shaggy-haired heroine (and, of course, the can of beans). From silly to quite touching, an array of emotions spans this whole wide, wonderful year. (Picture book. 2-6)

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November 1, 2014

K-Gr 2-Bruel takes readers on a walk through the seasons with a girl and her animal friends. The book is divided into four ten-page vignettes-"Winter Wear," "Spring Splendor," "Summer Sidewalks," and "Fall Foliage"-each of which is made up of comic-style panels and full-page mixed-media artwork. The independent and creative child is at the center of each one and is often accompanied by her faithful dog, her cranky cat, and a purple hippo named Louise. The stylized cartoon illustrations are vividly colored and the panels are easy to follow. This clever, engaging introduction to visual storytelling will hold up through multiple readings.-Sarah Wilsman, Kent Free Library, Kent, OH

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2014
Preschool-K Take a tour through the seasons with a girl and a delightfully odd cast of characters. The comic-strip dramas are broken into four partsone per seasoneach featuring a familiar predicament given an absurd spin. It all begins in winter. Our heroine is excited to go out in the snow. Of course, her parents remind her to wear boots and earmuffs. Then the dog, cat, Louise (the hippo), tree, refrigerator, and can of beans all appear with another article of outerwear! By the time she gets out the door, it's spring, or Part Two: Spring Splendor. In this, a reluctant playmate, the cat, figures out how to sleep through his role in the girl's dramatic play. In summer, Louise accidentally freezes the child when she tries to help the girl cool down ( UH-OH! ). Fall brings things full circle when the girl reads to the tree from her book of stories about a girl and all of the wonderful things she does throughout the year. A curious, fun addition to studies about the seasons.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)