Dessert Island

April 15, 2021
What a difference an S makes--Monkey's living large on a "dessert" island, and Fox is starving on a "desert" island. It's chocolate cake, frosting, and berries versus dirt, rocks, and inedible plants. Monkey indulges on the enormous sweet treat and hasn't any worries. Fox doesn't know where the next meal is coming from--until one day a berry floats by. The berry's loss is inconsequential to Monkey but a lifesaver for Fox, who plants it and eagerly awaits the sustaining food source. A sudden rainstorm brings unexpected havoc to Monkey's idyllic existence but provides water for Fox and the berry seed. As the sugary dessert island disintegrates in the downpour, Fox's seed sends up shoots. Monkey panics while Fox celebrates. The iced four-layer cake is reduced to a single berry, and Monkey is in serious trouble. Fox spies the desperate, soggy Monkey and sacrifices the newly grown plant. Extending it as a lifeline to Monkey, Fox acquires a friend. From solitary existences to shared companionship and resources, the new friends realize how lucky they are. Zhu's simple declarative sentences slowly reveal the discrepancies between the protagonists and their respective habitats and philosophies. Along with the sympathetic characters, Zhu's bright and gentle artwork highlights the changing conditions of the story with the same economy of expression as his text. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 18.1% of actual size.) A guileless parable about having your cake and eating it too. (Picture book. 4-7)

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Starred review from May 1, 2021

PreS-K-This picture-book debut blends poignant themes of sharing and selflessness. In this sweet and simple tale, Monkey and Fox find themselves in somewhat similar settings with very different challenges. Both are alone and surrounded by water, but Monkey is lucky to be on a floating island made of delicious desserts. Fox, meanwhile, is hungry and alone on a desert island. However, as their circumstances evolve, Monkey finds his predicament steadily worsening, while Fox's improves immensely; Monkey's island fractures as a result of his eating it as well as a powerful thunderstorm, whereas Fox uses the rain to cultivate crops. The story's climax, unfolding across a number of double-page spreads, relates a beautiful and universal message of kindness and community. Zhu employs an expert use of parallelism throughout the story, with minimal text and alternating spreads depicting the contrast and eventual union of the animals' circumstances. VERDICT Discussion opportunities abound in this exceptional addition to most collections.-Olivia Gorecke, Cape May Cty. Lib., Ocean View, NJ

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