Skunk on a String

December 21, 2015
Canadian artist Lam debuts with the wordless story of an accidental journey. When readers first see the skunk of the title, it’s already drifting into the sky, one hind leg tangled in the string of a red balloon. The first few scenes are tense as the skunk floats past a woman hanging wash on the line; she attempts to save the animal (using a pair of heart-dotted boxer shorts) but misses by inches. After a refreshing sandwich supplied by a high-rise steelworker, the skunk begins to enjoy its tour, which carries it through a zoo, across the ocean, over a desert, and to the top of a Ferris wheel, where it comes to rest. Only briefly, though; having realized how exciting balloon travel can be, the skunk quickly finds a way to launch itself again. Lam stacks crisp shapes created from lightly patterned and textured papers on cool white pages (the images are a mix of full-page scenes and sequential panels), with subtle shadows discernible between the layers. The skunk’s changing emotions are easy to read, and the possibilities of balloon flight are thoroughly and playfully explored. Ages 3–7.

Starred review from December 15, 2015
How a skunk came to have a magenta balloon tied to its foot is a mystery, but there it is, bobbing upside down through town on a wordless journey. At first just the balloon and string are visible--on the endpapers and title page, then floating among an assortment of helium counterparts carried by costumed parade participants. The black-and-white creature moves on, rising and falling through differently sized and shaped sequential panels. It passes ethnically diverse individuals seen through windows in an apartment complex; the sight of it causes a woman below to be "watered" by the surprised flowerbox gardener above. Some characters attempt assistance: a crane worker offers a sandwich, an elephant extends its trunk. Each action causes a reaction, displaying Lam's facility in arranging cut paper to show motion. Her colorful collages present a pleasing balance of white space, interesting patterns, bright solids, and stylized shapes. (Well-read viewers will find subtle references to Eric Carle.) She orchestrates suspense and comedy, as in the hilarious view of her protagonist's puffy cheeks during an underwater scene. When the skunk finally frees itself, its rueful expression speaks volumes; ultimately, the creature masterminds a plan and resumes life aloft. There are multiple reasons to return to the beginning, not the least of which is the impulse to figure out how to mimic such clever compositions. (Picture book. 4-7)

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June 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-Skunk finds himself in an airborne adventure in this wordless picture book. The opening scenes, done in cut-paper collage, introduce viewers to about a dozen children marching in a large balloon parade. Somehow, Skunk has gotten entangled in a smaller red balloon, and up, up, up he floats. He floats past an apartment building where a nice lady hanging her laundry throws him a pair of boxer shorts to hang onto. Alas, he cannot reach them, and he floats even higher and away to a construction site where a man on a beam offers up his sandwich to grab and hold. That doesn't work, either, and soon Skunk is floating past the zoo and all the animals inside. He tries to grab Elephant's trunk, but one sneeze blows Skunk into the bed of a garbage truck. He has an unsuccessful landing there as well and ends up in the river. Skunk splashes underwater for a moment, then up again he floats over the desert and back to the city, where he falls into one of the seats on a Ferris wheel. Balloonless at last, and safe on the ground, he spies a balloon vendor. The adventure was just too much fun, apparently, for Skunk chases away all the customers, grabs the balloons, and floats off for some more fun. The illustrations are colorful and humorous and enhanced with ink. VERDICT Children will enjoy following Skunk as he travels far and wide in this creative and silly story. Perfect for small groups or individual sharing.-Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2016
Preschool It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's a skunk on a string! In this charming, wordless picture book, a skunk gets his foot caught in a balloon's string and embarks on an impromptu, airborne trip around town. Collage-style illustrations make use of an array of patterned papers that Lam arranges into cityscapes that can fill a page or two and groups of panels that zoom in on the skunk's travails. Perplexed, the skunk bobs headfirst through the city, looking startled or sad, as alarmed people bat him away from their windows. It's not all terrible, though. Skunk manages to snag a sandwich before drifting over to the zoo to mingle with the animals. He covers a lot of ground before floating into an amusement park, where he finally finds a way to free himselfonly to spy a very tempting balloon cart. The varied scenes and Skunk's comic expressions will keep the youngest readers entertained, offering gentle thrills and plenty of laughs as they observe his unusual predicament.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)