I Don't Like Koala

February 2, 2015
Koala, a limp and shaggy stuffed animal, receives dismissive treatment at the hands of a child named Adam. From the boy’s perspective, “Koala is the most terrible terrible. He has terrible eyes that follow Adam everywhere he goes,” and indeed Koala’s glassy, mismatched eyes gaze in different directions. Adam stashes the toy throughout the house, and multiple panels picture Koala hanging out of a handbag, plopped under a couch, and shoved behind a plant. Each morning, however, Adam awakens to Koala on his pillow, startlingly “closer than close.” But when Adam anxiously scans the fingery shadows on his bedroom wall, he dreads “a more terrible terrible” and grips Koala for protection. Although adult author Ferrell’s (Man in the Empty Suit) reliance on one adjective echoes too-precious toddler talk, he gives a persuasive and funny account of Adam and Koala’s love-hate relationship. Santoso’s (Max Makes a Cake) witty, elegant pencil illustrations suggest how Adam’s parents aid and abet the situation. In the end, Adam and Koala snuggle contentedly, while Adam’s father—restating the title—nails the punch line. Ages 4–8. Author’s agency: FinePrint Literary. Illustrator’s agency: Shannon Associates.

February 1, 2015
A boy receives a stuffed animal that he really doesn't like-and it's not hard to see why.Koala arrives in an exciting, striped gift box, but still, Adam pulls faces and insists, "I don't like Koala." His parents don't understand, but readers will. Koala doesn't look soft or friendly, and he's alarmingly mouthless. When Adam wakes up in the morning, Koala's tiny claws are pressing into Adam's cheek. It's too bad that Santoso uses strabismus (in which one eye's focus doesn't align with the other's) to portray the cold, yellow stare of Koala's "terrible eyes." Hijacking strabismus, a real-life condition, to indicate danger or symbolize creepiness is a distinctly questionable choice. Otherwise, the tale is hilarious, especially Adam's (unsuccessful) attempts to banish Koala. At bedtime, "Adam puts Koala away. Away is a lot of different places"-inside a saucepan, atop the fridge, behind a plant and in a purse. Like that fabled cat, Koala always comes back. Even an intentional abandonment trip-over hills, around rocks, among trees-doesn't work. Meanwhile, clever artwork shows that Adam may not have traveled as far as he claims. Santoso's sly pencil illustrations, colored digitally in a mostly blue, gray and brown palette, resemble animation with shading and texturizing lines. The end features a twist and a closing line worthy of Sandra Boynton's But Not the Hippopotamus (1982). Slightly creepy, funny and fun. (Picture book. 4-7)

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February 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 2-When Adam opens a striped gift box and discovers a plush koala bear, he takes an immediate dislike to the stuffed animal. Koala is "the most terrible terrible." Everything is terrible about the toy, especially its eyes, which "follow Adam everywhere." The young boy's parents, who do not understand his aversion, urge him to take good care of the toy. Nevertheless, Adam tries to get rid of Koala. Stuffing it into his backpack, he sets out on an imaginary journey and leaves Koala behind in a grove of trees. To his chagrin, the dreaded toy is waiting for him in the living room when he returns home. At bedtime, the little boy suddenly has a change of heart when he realizes that Koala's watching eyes will keep him safe from monsters in the dark. Concise illustrations stand out beside adroitly placed text, leaving plenty of white space on most pages. The fuzzy koala bear does look a bit menacing with its staring yellow eyes, and Adam's expressive face perfectly portrays his doubts and frustration. The cinematic quality of the digitally colored pencil drawings add drama to the little boy's dilemma. VERDICT This clever title will pair nicely with Anika Denise's Bella and Stella Come Home (Philomel, 2010), another story about the comforting friendship of a trusty stuffed animal.-Linda L. Walkins, Saint Joseph Preparatory High School, Boston, MA

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 15, 2015
Preschool-G *Starred Review* Adam opens his present, a stuffed koala, and it's an instant case of hate at first sight. It's bad enough that Koala's terrible eyes follow Adam wherever he goes, but what's worse is Koala's omnipresence. Despite Adam's continuing efforts to put him away, Koala always reappearsincluding, most disturbingly, every morning on Adam's pillow. Koala is always there, always watching: Koala is the most terrible terrible. Or is he? Koala's unshakable vigilance turns out to be a good thing when even more terribly scary things come along in the middle of the night and Koala is there to offer loving reassurance. Adam decides Koala isn't so bad after all, even as the book ends with Father expressing his own doubts about Koala. Muted gray, red, and aqua pencil drawings soften the story's edge but also enhance its lurking shadows. The wonderfully funny, quirky illustrations are especially effective in capturing Koala's vacant, spooky stare. The story's creepy moments are offset by humor, as Adam's constantly foiled attempts to lose his plush companion nudge the absurd, making it a worthy companion to Franny Billingsley's Big Bad Bunny (2008) or Jon Davis' Small Blue and the Deep Dark Night (2014). While it may be a bit much for especially sensitive audiences, most young readers will delight in this pseudo-scary story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)