Edmund Unravels

January 26, 2015
Edmund Loom is an anthropomorphized ball of turquoise yarn with wanderlust. While his parents are always “reeling him in and rolling him back up,” writes newcomer Kolb, they never try to quash his explorations. One day, Edmund rolls far away and encounters a (mostly) friendly world filled with new places and friends; even being chased by kittens is “part of the adventure.” But Edmund eventually misses “familiar places and friendly faces,” and when he feels the literal tug of family and friends, he’s happy to return home—at least for a little while. Kolb has a bright, clean drawing style that will remind readers of their favorite contemporary animation, and his panoramas (sometimes stacked three to a page) make it fun to follow Edmund’s travels and the trail of yarn he leaves in his wake. But while Kolb’s first book is impressive for its visual playfulness and its astute take on child development, literal-minded readers may wonder why no matter how much Edmund unravels, he never seems to get any smaller. Ages 5–8. Agent: Laurie Abkemeier, DeFiore and Company.

January 1, 2015
Edmund, a ball of teal yarn, explores the world but returns to his family. Edmund Loom is an adventuresome little ball of yarn. At first, he just bounces down the stairs to play with other balls of yarn, forcing hours of reeling him in and winding him back up on his parents. The older he gets, the bigger he gets, and his parents have more trouble pulling him back. Eventually, he travels the world, returning home when adventure palls and he becomes lonely. Pencils and pixels come together in sunny illustrations that bring this little round guy to life. His trailing tail, goofy smile, twirly "bangs," baseball cap and jaunty backpack will allow young readers to identify with him, even when he is sweaty and scared when (not-so-scary) cats chase him. They will smile with recognition when he meets "interesting people" in the shapes of bottles, toilet paper rolls, buttons and even a friendly pincushion. They will undoubtedly cheer when Edmund exhausts the possibilities of travel and rolls himself home to family and friends-and they may hope he finds a pal to roll around with on another journey. This long extended metaphor filled with laugh-worthy wordplay will comfort children and parents alike. (Picture book. 4-8)

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February 1, 2015

K-Gr 3-A small blue ball of yarn seeks a life of adventure. When Edmund was young, his parents would reel him in after his journeys. When he gets bigger, the "tug of discovery" is too much to resist and Edmund travels far afield. If he feels melancholy, Edmund follows the familiar, welcoming pull leading him back home. Kolb's stylized, digitally created cartoons are animated with bright colors and lots of action. The bundle of wool is pictured sailing through the air on the back of a kite, chatting with a pin cushion, and being chased by playful kittens. VERDICT Tightly woven with wordplay, this is a whimsical story of family ties.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

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