Roly-Polies

March 7, 2011
Carretero breaks many of the rules of picture book construction: her narrative wanders, her plot is all prologue, and her characters are insects whose primary distinction is the ability to roll themselves up into little balls. Also, "they're chubby, which is another way of saying short and fat. And they're a very dull gray." Despite these shortcomings, an engaging voice ("Sunbathing... warms up their little accordion-shaped bodies") and cute-as-a-bug artwork carry readers through encyclopedic background about the roly-
polies' dwelling place underneath the Grand Variety Theater and their entry into the world of performance; a flea impresario offers them the chance to put together a traveling show ("Although she was most comfortable working with insects, she had discovered some truly amazing mammal acts"). There, disappointingly, the book ends, just as the action promises to heat up. The book is a little like a variety show itself, with short appearances by many different roly-poly family members (dramatic singers Castor and Eurydice, the great magician "Butterbean"), and a wealth of costumes and props. Offbeat but charming entertainment. Ages 5–7.

March 15, 2011
A multitalented family of googly-eyed bugs lives underneath the Grand Variety Theatre. They're called roly-polies; or, more properly, the Poly family. They're only an inch tall, with big eyes, a snout, feelers and 16 legs. (The two each stands on wear shoes.) Carretero's breakdown of roly-poly anatomy resembles a lab chart. For ease of movement, they can roll up into a ball. Like their aboveground human counterparts, the roly-polies are savvy performers, each with unique, brightly colored ensembles. They include: Maggie the Mouth, a captivating storyteller; Castor and Eurydice, dramatic superstars of the stage; lounge singer Ramon Bonbon, who sports a Salvador Dalí moustache; dancer Glamorous Gabrielle; magicians Izzy and Whizzy; and many more. One day, a visitor changes their lives forever. A flamboyant flea named Hopping Henrietta arrives on a messenger pigeon all the way from Moscow and exhorts the roly-polies to see the world as travelling performers. Henrietta is an artists' agent, you see. At last, the Poly family is able to fulfill great-great Grandpa's dream to have their own troupe! Carretero's imagination is loopy and delicious; her cheeky, multi-colored illustrations have a dash of Gahan Wilson. As the bulk of the book is set up and description of the different bugs, it's awfully light on actual story. An excess of whimsy doesn't make up for absence of plot. (Picture book. 6-9)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)