Cyril and Pat

March 4, 2019
Cyril, a lonely squirrel, is having so much fun with his new friend, Pat, that he doesn’t notice Pat is not actually another squirrel. And when other park animals try to point out why Pat is different, Cyril won’t listen. But one day, Pat’s true identity becomes unavoidable when humans in the park see Pat and flee: Pat, as readers will already know, is a rat. That seems to be the end of the friendship (“SQUIRRELS CAN’T BE FRIENDS WITH RATS!” a pigeon squawks), until Pat, in an act of bravery, reaffirms what Cyril knew in his heart along: real friendship has nothing to do with appearance. Gravett (Old Hat) possesses a cinematic sense of framing, and she fills her pages with wonderful visual bits—in one spread, a bird’s-eye view of the park traces the paths Pat and Cyril take to outwit a dog. She’s also created terrific ensemble of characters, from the self-important, rat-hating park denizens (a duck literally takes Cyril under one wing) to the titular duo, whose bright eyes and deep affection for one another are positively buoyant. Ages 4–8.

March 1, 2019
Must you and your best friend be the same type of rodent?This ode to friendship opens with the purest scansion and a hilarious setup (joyfully repeated later) that invites readers to chime in. "Lake Park only had one squirrel, / all alone and sad (poor Cyril). / Until the morning he met Pat, / his new best friend, a big gray..."--here's the page turn, where readers will shout rat--"SQUIRREL! Just like me," declares Cyril, arms wide open to Pat, who sports a wobbly smile and an extremely ratlike tail. The two romp all over their big-city park, startling pigeons, nabbing duck food, and fleeing a dog. Cyril interrupts all attempts to identify Pat as a rat. Only when humans--a black mom and child, each wearing a red sweater and red galoshes--let the rat out of the bag does Cyril see the truth. The other animals, annoyed, assert that "squirrels can't be friends with rats," and Pat (who's never gendered) slinks off the page. "Cyril, now back on his own, / tried to play their games alone." But he's unhappy--and unsafe. In a dark, visually stunning sequence outside the park, Pat saves Cyril, and all is well. Scansion (after the opening) and rhyming are inconsistent, but Gravett's great good humor and mischievous illustrations in pencil, watercolor, and acrylic ink are bang-on, as always--especially in the fact that besides tail and ear shapes, Cyril and Pat are almost identical.Cheeky yet sincere. (Picture book. 3-6)

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May 1, 2019

PreS-Gr 2-Cyril is lonely. He is the only squirrel in the entirety of Lake Park. Until one day he meets Pat! Pat is a large, gray squirrel, or so Cyril thinks. He and Pat spend their days doing what squirrels do: putting on puppet shows, riding skateboards, playing hide-and-seek, scaring pigeons, stealing bread from ducks, and being chased by Slim the dog. Whatever they do, they do it together. And wherever they go, Cyril is told that Pat is "dirty" and "thieving," and he just isn't like him. Eventually, Cyril discovers that his friend Pat is indeed a rat. And squirrels can't be friends with rats! So Cyril is alone again and before long he finds himself in trouble. When he is rescued by his true friend Pat, Cyril realizes that friendship is more important than many things, including worrying about what others think. Lake Park still only has one squirrel, but he is never alone anymore, thanks to his brave best friend, Pat the rat. Gravett continues to impress by combining her colorful and witty illustrations with a sweet story while simultaneously sneaking in a very important lesson. This time, it's about the dangers of prejudice and stereotypes as well as the power of friendship. VERDICT An excellent read-aloud recommended for libraries everywhere.-Elizabeth Blake, Brooklyn Public Library

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2019
Preschool-K Cyril, Lake Park's only squirrel, feels rather lonely until he meets his instant best friend, Pat. Both are furry and gray with oblong pink noses, and both love to play the same games. The running gag is that while Cyril is sure that his friend is another squirrel, the readers?and other park animals?can plainly see that Pat's a rat. As the pair cavorts around the park, sharing laughs and snacks and causing gentle mischief, the park animals try to clue Cyril in to his mistake. The text is written in rhyming couplets that regularly set up the rhyme for Pat and rat, but Cyril always misses the cue, proclaiming that Pat is a . . . real joker! and a brilliant sharer! Eventually the point that Pat is not like you lands, temporarily separating the pals, but Cyril soon realizes he doesn't care that Pat is a rat as long as they're still friends. With its positive resolution, built-in laughs, and bright illustrations, this friendship tale is tailor-made for a silly storytime.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)