Buttercup the Bigfoot

July 1, 2020
A youngster with a penchant for howling finds the perfect companion. Willa Cathcart Wilmerding is bold and clever. She climbs supertall trees, befriends arachnids, and can even spell the word "H-E-L-I-C-O-P-T-E-R." But every Friday night, Willa climbs to the roof of her house and howls at the moon. It doesn't have anything to do with werewolves--she just enjoys howling. (The howls tumble and stretch across the pages as she bellows.) When her mom admonishes her, Willa decides to run away to the mountains where she can howl in peace. However, the mountains are also where Bigfoot lives. And Bigfoot likes to howl just as much as Willa. (This particular version is shaggy, pink, and female.) After a bit of a standoff, the two become fast friends. Willa decides to name her new friend Buttercup. But when Willa's mom comes on a helicopter and tells her she misses her, sadly the pair is separated. The convenient wrap-up involves the woolly creature's arrival in the city, where she joins Willa's life. Everything seems a bit off-kilter (why does Willa howl? Why is her skin tinted blue, with schoolmates having a variety of normal and outlandish tones?), but the romp skims along the surface to simply tell a quirky story of friendship. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at 36.5% of actual size.) Friendships do indeed come in all shapes and sizes. (Picture book. 4-6)

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July 1, 2020
Preschool-G Willa climbs the tallest trees, befriends the fiercest strays, excels at school, and has earned 326 Scout merit badges. She also has a tendency to climb onto her roof and howl at the moon. After her mother complains, Willa tries to tamp down her noisy pastime, but the howls need an outlet, so she hatches a plan, running off to the mountains where she can be her howly self. There she meets a Bigfoot who herself relishes the chance to howl, usually at unsuspecting hikers. The unlikely pair become fast friends, adventuring together and keeping a cozy house until Willa's repentant mother comes looking for her. Can Willa find a way to keep her routines and wildness? Rees' sweet and silly story, full of onomatopoeic goodness, makes for a boisterous read-aloud, and Mu�oz's cheerful digital illustrations pack in amusing details, particularly in Buttercup's cozy cave. Willa's journey will reassure young readers that goodness and wildness can coexist and that true friends will love you for who you are. Let the howling commence!(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)