Play Outside!

April 1, 2020
As Mom exhorts her two children to go outside and play, their imaginations summon diverse geographical regions from around the world, all densely populated by animals. All three humans--mom and two kids--are flat images, white as paper and outlined in red. After the children's unruly indoor behavior results in a broken vase, the mother orders them outside. Each following double-page spread shows the children against a new backdrop while the mother's banal suggestions for how to spend their time outside appear above each scene. Initially, one kid follows Mom's suggestions ("lie in the grass and look for shapes in the clouds") while the other flies a kite. When that child loses hold of the string of the kite, both run after it as some tired, ecological preachiness incongruously enters Mom's words. Only occasionally does the art make clear any interaction between the children and the scores of primitive-art animals. The text offers some clarification when the children return home: "Mom! If only you knew what we've seen!" In fact, the art here and on the final spread lends much-needed humor to a rather lifeless book. There is the opportunity for children to look at each animal in the earlier pages and then find its duplicate on pages that reveal its main homeland and its endangered status. It's not a big challenge; the animals are grouped by region. The book is a pale substitute for its advice. (Picture book. 4-7)

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May 15, 2020
Preschool-G In a sparsely worded story that feels weirdly prescient (given spring 2020 directives to shelter in place), an exasperated mom orders her son and daughter to play outside. She suggests they water the garden, pick flowers, lie in the grass, or play tag. Alternately they can hunt for bugs, run around, or go on an adventure, as long as they calm down before returning home. The kids comply, but what mom doesn't realize (and the artwork depicts) is a grand tour of the natural world found in several distinct habitats: seashores, rivers and ponds, mountains, deserts, savannahs, forests, oceans, tundra, the Arctic, and Australia. Moreau's distinctive gouache art makes use of vivid hues, crowded compositions, and the children's pink kite that guides readers through the spreads. Both flora and fauna are depicted in each adventure spread, and 250 animals are identified in an index that also notes endangered species status. Colorful and inviting with a vague Where's Waldo? vibe, this should motivate couch potatoes to get moving out of doors.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

Starred review from June 1, 2020

PreS-Gr 2-It's a lovely, sunny day, so a mother sends her children outside to play. Combining real adventure and pretend play, the children pick flowers, look at the clouds, and ride on a sailboat. The illustrations are extremely vibrant and detailed. In one spread, the text says "run as fast as you can" and the illustrations show a sister and brother racing through a landscape populated with many animals, including a giraffe, an impala, a hippopotamus, and a crane. Text on the following page says, "and swing from the branches of trees" as the children climb trees over a dozen animals, including a flamingo, an okapi, and a gorilla. Back matter includes an eight-page spread of the featured creatures in the story and discusses animals in danger of extinction. VERDICT This imaginative story is highly recommended for purchase. It promotes education about endangered species and includes an abundant message of hope.-Robin Sofge, Prince William P.L. Syst., VA

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