This Is Not a Normal Animal Book

September 1, 2017

K-Gr 2-This book purports to showcase a series of animals linked in a silly but predictable pattern by depicting something the first animal would not do, but the following animal would, e.g., "This is a cat. If the cat laid an egg...it would be a hen." The attempted pattern is quickly disrupted, however, by an apparent disagreement between the author and illustrator. The illustrator's commentary is identifiable by the hand-scrawled font, juxtaposed with the author's typewritten font. The artist initially expresses mere snarky incredulity at the absurd text. The conflict escalates into a full revolt when the illustrator flatly refuses to draw a blobfish. Images are a fresh, eclectic mix of doodles, bright and bold ink silhouettes, a memorable blobfish photograph, and an assortment of "real" objects seen to be resting on the page. The true focus of this book is the arguing between author and illustrator-not animals. Reading it aloud in two distinct, argumentative voices (with a little storyteller-guidance) could really get kids giggling. On the other hand, the text is "readable" to many children not yet able to conceptualize the rhythm of the author/illustrator spat, leading to confusion. Anyone, however, can grasp that a blobfish is gross and hilarious. VERDICT Not a must-buy, but purchase where meta-picture book humor is a big hit.-Sara White, Seminole County Public Library, FL

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 11, 2017
Who’s in charge of making a picture book: the illustrator or the writer? And what happens if they don’t get along? Segal-Walters’s debut begins as an ordinary introduction to different types of animals (mammals, birds, amphibians, etc.), but before long the illustrator has taken over. “If the hen hopped on lily pads, it would be a frog,” says the narrator. “A frog?” asks the illustrator incredulously. “This is so confusing.” With pencil shavings, crayons, erasers, scissors, tape, and construction paper, Biggs (the Tinyville Town series) uses in-progress drawings, used erasers, and taped-in images to show an illustrator struggling mightily to interpret the text as the narrator grows increasingly frustrated. The text turns demanding, and when the story requires a blobfish, the illustrator refuses to comply, proposing several alternatives (“Doesn’t sunfish sound better than blobfish?”) before offering a very close-up photograph of a blobfish. Even as the tale concludes, there’s no end in sight to the quarrelling—the banter spills over into a list of animal facts. A knowing and very funny behind-the-scenes look at the art—and negotiation—of collaboration. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Danielle Smith, Lupine Grove Creative. Illustrator’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.

October 15, 2017
A metafictive look at animal classification. Segal-Walters' narrator "thinks she's in charge" of her presentation of characteristics of different animals and animal groups, but she is one-upped by illustrator Biggs, who uses ink, crayon, and digital color to add Post-it notes and comments. His illustrations are quirky and funny. Introducing her subject, the narrator says, "If the cat laid an egg... / it would be a hen." The surprise on the egg-laying cat's face is mirrored by the expressions of the hen he adds. He has his own opinions about what should be pictured and how. When the narrator says that a frog that made honey would be a bee, he plays with images of a "bee-frog," or "brog." His snake is not a garter snake with a simple stripe but wildly colorful--and still sporting bees' wings. He doesn't want to draw a blobfish at all, producing instead an unforgettable photograph. Such silliness will probably appeal to young readers and listeners tired of more-traditional narratives, and the parade of animals (cat, hen, frog, bee, snake, shark, sunfish, gerenuk, and the aforementioned blobfish) will surprise. Both text and backmatter convey some essential traits of mammals, birds, amphibians, insects, reptiles, and fish. But even in the backmatter the illustrator has the last word, telling readers that fish "like to ride bikes after school." Entertaining and even educational. (Picture book. 3-7)

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September 15, 2017
Grades K-3 This would be a normal animal book if only the writer and the illustrator could cooperate. . . but nooooo. The metafictive disconnects begin at once, when a too-quick transition between cat and hen results in a cat laying an egg. From there it gets worse, as Segal-Walters' increasingly annoyed efforts to pull Biggs back into line result in both increasingly mutinous side comments and cantankerous flights of visual fancy. When the text demands a blobfish rather than something fun to draw, the artist defiantly plops down a pair of photos of the official world's ugliest animal: Try getting THAT image out of your head. (It won't be easy.) Tasked with drawing a gerenuk for the final image, the artist at last complies, but can't resist adding misinformation (invertebrates have VERY stinky feet ) to the closing summation. It's all in fun (one trusts) and, like the similar kerfuffles in Once upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude (2005) and How This Book Was Made (2016), has much to incite both giggles and insight into the creative process.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)