Eee-Moo!

June 15, 2019
A little platypus finds himself stranded far from his own kind, but with the help of friends, he travels back to Australia, where he is united with his parents. The stork delivers a large egg on the opening endpapers of this whimsical story, the egg hatching on a farm next to a pig ("EEE!") and a cow ("MOO!"). The baby platypus names himself Eee-Moo, and the farm animals send him on his way to Australia to find other emus. The resourceful creature uses several kinds of transportation to return to Australia, where a kangaroo, a kookaburra, some actual emus, and a koala help him find his family. Eee-Moo invites all the animals that helped him to visit, and they all ride off into the sunset on a bicycle built for eight. The closing endpapers offer an intriguing, wordless conclusion as Eee-Moo, holding another egg, flies toward a new adventure on the back of the stork. The clever plot has a fairy-tale flavor, with talking animal characters and Eee-Moo's travels that transcend logical rules of time and space. Digitally composed illustrations have the appearance of delicate watercolor paintings with ink outlines. The clothed, anthropomorphic animals all appear to be male except for a hen and Eee-Moo's mother. An unusual, robustly Antipodean cast of animal characters makes this whimsical, charming story stand out. (Picture book. 4-7)

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January 24, 2020

PreS-Gr 2-A platypus egg is on its way to a local zoo when it accidentally rolls away. When the egg hatches, the platypus is declared an emu by a horse. Eee-Moo, who is actually a platypus, sets off for Australia and takes a variety of modes of transportation (a moped, train, rickshaw, ferry, and airplane) in an attempt to find where he belongs. The illustrations are rendered in a cartoon art style. Many of the animal characters sport hats and clothing. These details add to their humanistic quality. Eee-Moo is shown wearing his hat as soon as he hatches. This hat seems to be symbolic of the unity he has with his friends. The text mimics the movement of the imagery on some of the pages. For example, when Eee-Moo's egg is in the process of hatching, the text above appears to shake as well. Lines are utilized to depict sound, movement, and texture throughout the book. They are also used to create emphasis. VERDICT This picture book makes a fine read-aloud and focuses on recognizing and pondering individuality, the wonders of true friendship, and the lengths one will go to find a place of belonging.-Deanna Smith, Pender County Public Library, NC

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