Cecil the Pet Glacier

Starred review from June 4, 2012
Potter’s (The Orphan: A Cinderella Story from Greece) eerie, solemn portraits are an inspired choice for Harvey’s (The Little General and the Giant Snowflake) tale of a misunderstood child and her equally misunderstood glacier. Lonely Ruby has flamboyantly eccentric parents who run a topiary and tiara business; their cheerful displays of weirdness embarrass her daily. A family trip to Norway nets Ruby a pet, a pint-size glacier named Cecil who follows her everywhere; Ruby—who wanted a dog—scorns him. When she locks Cecil out of her room, “He would nudge the door, leaving a wet patch below the doorknob. After a bit, he would slide sadly back to his cooler.” Cecil will charm readers from the start, but it’s not until he performs a daring rescue—and nearly melts in the process—that Ruby realizes how wrong she’s been. “Help!” she orders, calling for his staple food. “I need some ice water and a plate of pebbles!” It’s an avant-garde, surrealist story with a Hollywood-style tearjerker lurking within—and a surprisingly charming and affecting one at that. Ages 4–8. Agent: Sara Crowe, Harvey Klinger.

June 15, 2012
The oft-told tale of a child who yearns for a pet and a creature that craves a human gets a new twist when the latter is a baby glacier. This chip--off a block named Cecilsmater--latches on to Ruby during a family vacation in Norway. The child's classmates already taunt her about her unusual parents, so she really doesn't need a glacier tagging along behind her. Mrs. Small designs tiaras; Mr. Small creates topiaries. These artsy adults also tango on the front lawn, leaving Ruby mortified. Her main consolation is derived from the companionship of "The Three Jennifers," dolls that look and dress exactly like Ruby. She shuns the loyal ice floe and ignores her parents' encouragement, until Cecil performs a dramatic doll rescue during a thunderstorm--at great personal peril. Harvey's alliteration adds humor to this saga of tension 'twixt the generations. " 'Welcome, Smalls, ' a blue-haired man named Sven sa[ys] severely," when the family registers for snowmobiles in Horfensnufen. Potter's watercolor caricatures, with their tiny feet and restrained demeanors, enact their story in scenes with skewed perspectives and strong diagonals, choices that heighten the absurdity. Ultimately, Ruby learns to appreciate her pet's coolness; consequently, she attracts a new friend, and in her newfound happiness, she relates more lovingly to her family. Fans of Jenny Slate's Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2011) will find a kindred spirit in the stalwart glacier that eats pebbles and wears a tiara. (Picture book. 5-8)

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August 1, 2012

Gr 1-3-Ruby Small is an almost-normal child living with very unusual parents. Her mother designs tiaras and is never without one... or 15. Dad is a topiary gardener, and he and her mom dance the tango in the yard on summer evenings. Ruby is mortified by their habits and prefers to play inside with her dolls, The Three Jennifers. The Jennifers and Ruby dress identically in brown pinafores, white shirts, and brown triple-knotted shoes. It's a strange life. Stranger still is their vacation. A slight misunderstanding finds them on their way to Norway instead of China. Weird at home, Ruby's parents enjoy miniature Ping-Pong on the foldout trays on the plane and drink a mixture of milk and Coke. Even the discussion about getting a pet upon their return turns bizarre. So, of course, on the trip a small pet becomes attached to Ruby and makes its way home with them. Unfortunately, it's a glacier. That's correct: a tiny piece of the Cecilsmater glacier. Predictably, Ruby is unimpressed and would just as soon ignore it. And predictably, Cecil manages to save the day and win Ruby's heart when one of the Jennifers is nearly washed away in a storm. The folk-art-style illustrations are done in pleasant watercolors and have a certain offbeat charm. However, seeing Ruby accompanied by a small, white lump on each page takes some getting used to. While attempting to cultivate an appreciation for being different, this rather unusual plot is likely to have a limited appeal.-Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2012
Grades K-2 Ruby's father, Mr. Small, is a topiary gardener and Mrs. Small, a tiara designer. They mostly have eyes for each other, leaving Ruby to care for her identical dolls, the three Jennifers. On a trip to Norway, Ruby acquires a pet. Though she wanted a dog, she attracts a small piece of glacier, Cecil. Ruby doesn't consider Cecil much of a pet and tries to rid herself of him, especially on the playground. Occasionally he melts (or is he weeping?). Then one of the Jennifers is lost, and to Ruby's amazement, it's Cecil who finds her. Some may frown at the fact that Cecil only gets a Ruby-made tiara after he proves useful to her, but the story is so delightfully odd, why try and draw morals from it? Potter's stylized art, with its deadpan characterizations, proves the perfect pairing for a text that provides her the opportunity to draw a father who cuts a crocodile into his beard. Quirky in the best sense, this shows that not all families are alike and, if properly cared for, miniglaciers make good pets.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)