My Very Big Little World

January 2, 2006
Reynolds (The Dot
) introduces readers to SugarLoaf, so named because at birth, her dentist mother thought she was "as sweet as sugar" while her baker father believed she "felt as warm as a freshly baked loaf of bread." SugarLoaf looks more like a teddy bear than a human girl, yet she leads a recognizably cozy domestic life with her parents, her baby sister, SugarLump ("I used to talk baby talk, so I understand her"), and her older, gearhead brother, Spoke, plus a visiting grandmother with a fondness for orange and an aunt who owns her own construction company. Reynolds blithely skips among the highlights of SugarLoaf's life. Youngsters learn, in what seems to be no particular order, that SugarLoaf gets up early like her Dad (she wakes him up by bouncing on her parents' bed at 5 a.m.), that she's fond of hosting tea parties with her toys and making collages, and that "outside is one of my favorite places." There's occasionally some wry counterpoint between the text and Reynolds's spirited, genial watercolors (SugarLoaf announces, for instance, that she and her dad are "morning people" but Dad snoozes over his coffee while his daughter goes full throttle). While the book feels a bit like a set-up for other stories to follow, readers will likely anticipate more tales about the winsome SugarLoaf. Ages 3-7.

January 1, 2006
PreS-Gr 2 -SugarLoaf, a precocious kittenlike child (or childlike kitten), eagerly introduces readers to her family. Her world is one that listeners will recognize as she shares with them what she considers to be important: how she got her name, where she falls in the family order, her favorite color, her parents' occupations, etc. Her running monologue is reminiscent of many children's egocentric conversational style and allows Reynolds to throw in a handful of lines that will tickle the funny bone of both young and adult readers. -My mom is a dentist for boys and girls. I'm growing teeth for her to take care of. - The genial story can be shared with youngsters or read by beginning readers since the text is comprised of short, easy-to-read sentences with plenty of visual clues provided by the art. The cartoon illustrations contribute to the fun, expanding on SugarLoaf's statements and often painting a picture entirely different than her words alone imply." -Maura Bresnahan, High Plain Elementary School, Andover, MA"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2006
PreS-K. In a first-person voice, a little girl named SugarLoaf shares a peek into her family and favorite activities. She is so named by her dentist mom and baker dad because she looked sweet as sugar and felt warm as bread when she was born. The middle child between big brother Spoke and little sister SugarLump, she draws a lot, plays drums for her neighborhood (made of box-houses), and sails boats in puddles in the yard. The text isn't particularly distinctive. The real strength of this simple story, from the creator of " The Dot "(2003), lies in the capricious watercolors, which provide charm, whimsy, and winning characters. The sketchily shaped figures appear human except for their catlike ears. Children will easily connect with the last sentence, which puts SugarLoaf's world into perspective: "Some things are big and small at the same time. Like me!" More books about the engaging SugarLoaf are promised.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)