Look!

Starred review from February 2, 2015
A gorilla finds a stack of books. He doesn’t seem aware of the literary potential they hold, but as objects, the possibilities for goofiness are evident: books can be worn, juggled, even balanced on. It’s just the sort of discovery one friend would share with another—except that the gorilla’s friend, a human boy, is glued to the TV. In keeping with the limited vocabularies of his Ah Ha! and Good News, Bad News, Mack employs just two words, “Look” and “Out,” in varying syntactical combinations, as the gorilla clamors for the boy’s attention, and the boy bats him away. (“Look!” for example, can express excitement or disappointment.) The slapstick action unfolds on linen-textured backgrounds, battered vintage book covers, and the actual pages of a book—hat-tips to the physicality of books that hint at a happy ending for bibliophiles of all ages. Even if audiences miss these winks and nods to the tactile pleasures of reading, they’ll still love that gorilla: hulking, eager-to-please and almost palpably furry, he’ll be welcome in any room. Ages 3–5. Agent: Rubin Pfeffer, Rubin Pfeffer Content.

January 15, 2015
Even an ape knows books can be better than TV.An inquisitive ape finds a book. Not knowing what it is, he puts it on his head and tries to attract the attention of a boy watching TV. "Look," says the ape. The boy ignores him. The ape tries balancing the book on his nose, saying "Look. Look." The boy brushes him aside, telling him to "Look out." The ape keeps trying, but when he nearly knocks over the boy's TV, he triggers a curt "Out." Shortly, he returns, riding a tricycle and juggling several books. Seven iterations of "Look" are scrawled in what looks like crayon across the page. "Look out!"-there goes the TV. "Out! Out! Out!" goes the ape. TV broken, the boy starts reading one of the fallen books. "Look," he says, calling the ape back: It's the tale of a boy and an ape in the jungle! Mack skillfully uses two words and their various meanings, integrating them with the digitally manipulated mixed-media illustrations to tell his tale. Bright, mostly monochrome page backgrounds evoke clothbound book covers and distressed old pages; minimal set dressing (a door, a stool, the TV) keeps the focus on the zany interaction. The personalities and emotions of the chunky, fluffy ape and the TV-entranced boy nearly vibrate off the page. Look, indeed! An energetic invitation to the joys of books. (Picture book. 2-5)

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December 1, 2014

PreS-Gr 1-Mack's latest picture book is told with only two words, but they convey an array of emotions, including excitement, surprise, anger, and sadness. A playful gorilla tries to get a boy's attention by flinging around books and stepping on them. But no matter how many times (or ways) the gorilla says, "Look" (14), the boy keeps his eyes on the television. As the gorilla's behavior becomes increasingly unruly, the boy's exclamations of "Look out!" become serious. When the gorilla accidentally breaks the TV, the boy shouts "Out! Out! Out!" but then discovers the joy of reading, and shares his discovery with the gorilla. "Look. Look! Look! Look!" he says while pointing to the gorilla and Tarzan characters on the page. Mixed-media illustrations and alternating font styles are set against different colored and textured backdrops. This is a fun read-aloud that will have children wanting to look and look again.-Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2015
Preschool-K A little boy who looks like he stepped out of a Peanuts strip just wants to watch TV, but a friendly gorilla with a pile of books is eager to get his attention. First, the gorilla tries humor: Look! he exclaims as he puts a book on his head like a hat, but he gets no reaction. Next, the gorilla plants himself between the boy and the TV. Look out, mutters the boy, pushing him out of the way. A series of stunts and variations on the words look and out follow until Gorilla accidentally breaks the TV. Look! Look! Look! Out! Out! Out! furiously shouts the boy. But with a broken TV, there's nothing left to do but dive into that pile of books, and the gorilla and the boy have a fun time together. Mack's gentle, cartoonish illustrations are cleverly drawn on old book covers and endpapers, a subtle detail that emphasizes the joy of reading, and with a playful two-word vocabulary, even the littlest readers will be able to get in on the fun.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)