Snippet the Early Riser

January 14, 2013
Having previously examined the sleeping woes of the very tiny in Buglette, the Messy Sleeper, Murguia returns with another nighttime problem every family will recognize: Snippet the snail wakes up at sunrise and can’t get his family to play with him. To rouse them, Snippet and his insect friends try making music and bouncing on “the bed” (the leaf underneath which the family sleeps), before Snippet decides to make them breakfast. He chomps right through their leaf, delivering them into the heap of soft leaf bits he’s prepared—the snail equivalent of making pancakes for everybody. Text alternates with smartly worded speech balloons (“Are you gonna eat those stems?” Snippet’s father asks his wife). Seeing the world of common garden undergrowth at many times life size is one attraction of this low-key book, and Murguia’s limpid watercolors and adorable snails charm, too. She has given much thought to what slow-moving snails can and cannot do for recreation, and information on the endpapers (“Snails can pull up to 200 times their weight”) playfully augments the main story. Ages 3–6. Agent: Mary Kole, Moveable Type Management.

February 1, 2013
A little snail takes drastic measures to get his mother, father and sister to wake up earlier in the morning. Just an "ordinary snail" who likes to draw on the sidewalk, create leaf sculptures, play soccer and take piggyback rides, Snippet's definitely an early riser. Unfortunately, his mother, father and sister love "to snooze all morning" and barely stir when Snippet tries knocking, hollering and turning on the shower to wake them and relieve his boredom. Grasshopper suggests jumping on the bed. Cricket suggests chirping. Ant suggests pushing everyone out of bed. Firefly suggests flashing his light. Stinkbug offers to roust them with his stench. Snippet desperately tries it all (almost--he wisely rejects Stinkbug's idea). Nothing works until Snippet finds a creative solution to lure his family to the breakfast table. Amusing illustrations rely on precise ink outlines with watercolor and gouache washes to give Snippet, his family and his insect pals a comic charm. Readers view Snippet from a bug's-eye perspective as he ingeniously works to wake up the sleepyheads. Lighthearted endpapers introduce facts about snails critical to the storyline: They sleep a lot, wake slowly, pull up to 200 times their weight, enjoy piggyback rides and have eyes in different locations. Early risers will identify with Snippet's dilemma. (Picture book. 2-6)

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March 1, 2013

PreS-Gr 2-Snippet, a young snail, wants his family to wake up and play. His friends try to help rouse them: Grasshopper by bouncing on the leaf bed, Firefly by turning on his light, and so on. But Snippet gets inspiration as he watches Caterpillar chew on a leaf, and his quest to wake up the others culminates in a tour-de-force scheme of breakfast in bed. This charming story highlights creative problem solving. Expressive, cartoonlike watercolor and ink illustrations are awash in greens and blues, and the characters come alive through the tilt of their heads, sounds, and silly or serious comments in speech bubbles. Endpapers include a few facts about snails. Great fodder for those looking for picture books that focus on the creative process.-Sara Lissa Paulson, The American Sign Language and English Lower School, New York City

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