Randy, the Badly Drawn Horse

June 15, 2020
A vaguely horse-shaped drawing goes on a vague, drawn-out journey. Randy is a blobby, beige quadruped with wide, staring eyes and a cheerful crayon grin. Centered on a blank white page, he proclaims immediately upon his creation that he is beautiful and loved by all and that his given name must be "reserved only for the most special of creatures." A disembodied speech-bubble conversation between the young artist and their mother extolls Randy's skills and preferred activities, and Randy replies with varying degrees of narcissism and sarcasm, unheard by the child in the book but potentially enjoyed by a child reading it. A lunch break results in the white void Randy occupies being interrupted with photographed drops of what appear to be peanut butter and strawberry jam, leading into an "adventure" through construction-paper obstacles, popsicle-stick forests, and a run-in with the book's gutter. The journey ends anticlimactically at a pool of water, wherein Randy discovers his reflection, which reveals him to be without long, elegant legs, a gorgeous mane, or glossy coat. After the brief existential crisis this triggers, the child's proclamation that "I love Randy, my beautiful horse," soothes Randy into acceptance of his appearance. Endpapers feature an "in-depth and comprehensive guide" for how to draw a horse, featuring a Victorian illustration as the final step (scribbled out on the rear endpapers). A self-image story about as three-dimensional as its title character. (Picture book. 4-6)

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June 22, 2020
An unseen child draws a horse—stubby, uneven legs; googly eyes and toothy smile; a squiggly line for a mane—and declares the picture beautiful. The child’s mother agrees (“He is beautiful! Great job, dear!”). Who could blame the crayoned figure, christened Randy (a name “reserved only for the most special of creatures”), for believing them? With a well-stocked craft stash, the child, through speech balloons, sends the two-dimensional Randy on grand adventures: scaling a crumpled paper mountain, navigating a popsicle stick and cotton ball forest, trekking through the desert under a giant, blazing construction paper sun. Randy, in asides to the reader, shows that he is game for... almost all of it—until he sees his reflection in a pool of water and realizes that he’s not the equine Platonic ideal he’s been led to believe. McBeth’s (Ducks!) meta-comedy is filled with three-dimensional illustrations (a shared snack results in pages smudged with peanut butter and jelly), and the grandiosity shared by artist and artwork should inspire stirring, if silly, readalouds. Best of all, the final pages offer a lovely affirmation of creativity and unconditional love as the child reaffirms Randy as a great adventurer, worthy of affection. Ages 4–8.

June 19, 2020

K-Gr 2-Randy is a goofy cartoon drawing of a horse, created by an enthusiastic young artist, who narrates off page via pink speech bubbles. "Mom! Look! I drew a beautiful horse!" Mom obligingly (if generously) affirms that Randy is indeed beautiful, setting Randy up with an inflated sense of his own importance: "I am a beautiful horse. Everyone loves me." Throughout the rest of the story the child's speech bubbles direct the action and describe Randy's traits and activities, while Randy humorously interprets each action in the most glowing and heroic view possible. Ultimately, Randy sees himself in a pool of water and the literal self-reflection almost deflates his positive outlook, but with a little reassurance from the artist, he returns to his confident self. Randy's flowery language and obtuse determination to stay positive will make readers laugh. McBeth's illustrations maintain the idea of Randy being poorly drawn while skillfully animating him into a variety of expressions and positions. Some mixed-media elements, such as photos of almond butter, jelly, and a butter knife, heighten the idea that Randy is a drawing that is evolving as the child's imagination dictates. VERDICT Give this book a prime spot on the metafiction shelf, as it doesn't overdue the concept. It will be popular with fans of expressive cartoon characters, and for read-aloud sessions with presenters who enjoy doing character voices.-Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Lib., MN

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