But!

July 15, 2014
An impromptu piratical birthday bash is saved at the last minute thanks to quick thinking and ample ugly footwear.Eddie and his dog, Phil, reside in a happy little seaside community where the denizens' biggest problem is their cold heads. When the duo's fishing plans are scuppered thanks to Eddie's aunt Sue's insistence that he come to her place to do some chores, they find that this involves throwing a surprise party for her pal Capt. Rugbeard. Each time it looks like Eddie and Phil's woes are solved, the page will end with a resounding, red, bolded "BUT...." And with each turn of the page, the font of the "But" grows larger and larger in tandem with the story's tension. A birthday-present misunderstanding yields to a happy ending involving footwear as headwear. The device of ending each page on a cliffhanger has been employed with greater skill and ease in similar titles, yet the sneaky conjunction will provide ample prompts for teachers and parents hoping to spark a bit of creativity in those young charges who will enjoy predicting the nature of each "But." Hamilton's accompanying pen, ink and watercolor illustrations give the book the properly madcap air of gentle chaos the storyline requires.The premise promises more than the delivery, BUT...there's no denying that this tale of pirate foolishness is great good fun. (Picture book. 3-7)

COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2014

K-Gr 2-By the rickety, ramshackle houses of Halibut Bay, pelicans hug themselves for warmth. Actually, so do cats, mice, and all humans, for everyone in Halibut Bay has a cold head, as hats are hard to come by. Eddie and his dog Phil have been given the unenviable task of taking care of his Aunt Sue during her recovery from a broken leg, and the two sail forth with a strong headwind into the cold, keeping an eye out for pirates. Eddie first struggles with the loss of his fishing day, then gamely attempts to complete Aunt Sue's extensive list of chores, highlighted in a background of zany perspective and detail-from the top of three stories looking down, inside a darkened room looking out, as if viewed through curved lens. Among the items on the scrolled to-do list are the instructions to throw a birthday party for Sue's pirate friend, Captain Rugbeard-and "get him a good present." Eddie's initial choice appears to be a disaster until quick thinking not only gives the Captain what he needs but also appears to be a solution for the common problem of every hatless resident. This title has much to engage readers: frequent page-ending pauses of the title conjunction "but"; humorous plot twists; quirky, cartoon characterizations; and friendly, neighborhood pirates. An entertaining addition.-Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.