Rodzilla

March 13, 2017
Sanders’s (Ruby Rose: Off to School She Goes) sendup of a rampaging toddler is both cute and gross—kind of like toddlers themselves. A news announcer opens: “Big, bad trouble in Megalopolis. This is Channel 15 News reporting, and... one moment, please.” A dark blue shadow falls over the reporter: “Oh, no! A soft, squishy monster has escaped into the city!” Caldecott Medalist Santat (The Adventures of Beekle) draws an adorably tubby dinosaur child who farts (“Rodzilla is shooting... stink-rays!”) and pukes (“Bleck! He’s hurled an attack!”). After Rodzilla face-plants, tears glimmer in his eyes and the vehicles of Megalopolis are momentarily revealed as the toys they are. Although the destruction continues, there’s nothing scary about Santat’s broad visual comedy. Like his cinematic counterpart, Rodzilla grabs vehicles and climbs buildings, but fortunately, two adults (Rodney’s doting parents) step in to rescue him from himself. Sanders’s faux horror and Santat’s exuberant, richly colored spreads pour on the mayhem. Don’t read this aloud anywhere kids are expected to stay quiet. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Rubin Pfeffer, Rubin Pfeffer Content. Illustrator’s agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House.

March 15, 2017
It's a dinosaur! It's a toddler! It's Rodzilla!A black-haired, olive-skinned newscaster narrates the story about the -soft, squishy....huge....pudgy....RODZILLA- that goes on a rampage through the city. Rodzilla is a wide-eyed anthropomorphic dinosaur wearing a shirt emblazoned -Totally Rod.- He wreaks havoc, stomping, drooling, and sending -slime missiles- (globs of green snot) onto people and cars careening about. Then comes a -hurled...attack- after a stomachache: vomit. But Rodzilla carries on, picking up cars and buses as though they were toys, which (as many readers will have guessed by now) they are. Ultimately Rodzilla is revealed as a metaphor for the chaos toddlers can bring to a household, and the -two brave citizens- who step in to save the day are Mommy and Daddy, the latter of whom looks just like the newscaster. On the spread when they're named, Rodzilla is revealed to be mixed-race baby Rodney, and his brown-skinned mother hoists him joyfully into the air in a room littered with toys and green splatters that evidence the destruction he's wrought. Santat's watercolor, pencil, and digital art is cinematic in its play with perspective, and it makes the most of the scenes' chaos. A closing illustration brings readers to eye level with Rodney as he peers at the newscaster, now clearly a toy, and reaches for it.... Older siblings will find much to identify with. (Picture book. 4-8)

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May 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 2-Ah, toddlers-those cherubic faces, squishy bellies, and chubby legs! Parents can't help but want to love and kiss them. But toddlerhood is full of many messy parts. The diaper odors, the drool and vomit, and the mercurial mood swings. Saunders and Santat convey the messiness, impulsivity, recklessness, and joy of toddlerhood by creating a toddler/monster named Rodzilla. Rodzilla is a bright green combination of a dinosaur, Godzilla, King Kong, and a toddler, and he is out to wreak havoc on his city. Rodzilla roars his rage, shoots stink-rays, hurls an attack of yellow gunk, and belly flops before accidentally pricking his finger while climbing a tall tower. The resulting tears cause a flood and prompt the arrival of the heroes of our tale-Mom and Dad. As Rodzilla calls out to his parents, he changes from a huge green monster to a happy little toddler who has merely been playing with his toys and creating a giant mess in his living room. Kids will gravitate to Santat's marvelously clever and animated illustrations; they capture perfectly the changing emotions of Rodzilla, and the expressions on the faces of the fleeing civilians (later revealed to be just toys) are hysterical and priceless. The vibrant colors are just right for the story of a toddler/monster who is alternatively destructive and tearful. VERDICT An engaging and humorous picture book for young children and their parents to share together.-Sally James, South Hillsborough Elementary School, Hillsborough, CA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2017
Preschool-G Megalopolis is in grave danger from a soft, squishy monster, aka Rodzilla. Television reporters document his every move as he passes gas, drips slime, throws up, grabs taxis and buses, climbs, and falls flat on his face, resulting in an ear-piercing scream and torrent of tears. Luckily, Mommy and Daddy arrive to rescue their little monster, saving both the city and their living room from ruin. Those who have spent time with a toddler will recognize this child's seemingly monstrous behaviors and the havoc his explorations can inflict. Santat uses a fluorescent color palette to depict Rodzilla as a bright green dinosaur who toddles from one catastrophe to the next, dripping from every orifice. Only when Mommy and Daddy return, does Rodzilla morph back into perfectly normal toddler Rod. Young listeners will enjoy the story's over-the-top humor, while slightly older kids will have fun matching the Megalopolis sites with Rod's toys. Give this to fans of Aaron Reynolds' Here Comes Destructosaurus! (2014). HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Santat is a best-seller and Caldecott winner, so stock upor tantrums may ensue.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)