What's Up, Maloo?

November 1, 2019
In her authorial debut, Québecois illustrator Godbout explores depression through the movements of a kangaroo. At first, the marsupial, clad in a short, yellow jumpsuit, is seen merrily jumping over a cluster of pink flowers. The mood quickly shifts, however, as a gray cloud settles over Maloo's head. The 'roo's posture compresses, and then Maloo descends into the dark burrow of a wombat. Even cake doesn't help restore Maloo's cheer. Hopping gives way to small steps that are counted aloud, offering a sense of the length of the mood: "Seven steps. Eight steps. Nine steps." Five pages later, Maloo has reached 1,000. Friends try to help--playing in the water, turning on fans to propel Maloo into the sky. It is only when they launch their pal upward from a blanket that the fog lifts. Soft, warm scenes, rendered in pastels and colored pencil against a spacious white background, create a safe environment to discuss sadness. From the shift to a darker palette, the tree that closes in on creatures, and the serious faces, readers will understand that the protagonist is suffering; the spare text, written from the friends' perspectives, describes the change in locomotion but allows viewers to identify the emotions. Although the friends are steadfast, three spreads depict Maloo striving in midair alone, suggesting that the individual has a role in healing. Provides quiet assurance to those who recognize this feeling as well as a model for supporting a friend. (Picture book. 3-6)

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December 1, 2019

PreS-Gr 1-"No other kangaroo can hop like Maloo!" That is, until his hop, hop, hop becomes a slow step, step...step. There's now no spring in his step and no hop in young Maloo's heart. A cloudlike fog is bringing him down, even as friends show their concern. Offering help-counting steps 1,2,3 and up to a thousand-the persistence of friends comfort and support him to finally lift off, blowing away the fog with their encouragement. First one hop, then more-Maloo jumps away from his fog of worry to the cheers of all. Originally published in French, this English edition features hand-lettered typeface and softly expressive faces of Maloo and friends with the use of pastels and colored pencil. Repeated words and brief sentences with illustrations following the action easily assist young readers in identification of emotions. VERDICT A suggested general purchase, this title addresses those with insecurities, sadness, or depression and simply displays the success of teamwork for all ages.-Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 23, 2019
In her solo debut, Godbout (The Pink Umbrella) presents a quiet meditation on sadness and friendship. Suited in yellow dungarees, Maloo the kangaroo hops through a flowering expanse (“One hop. Two hops. Three hops”), until the background turns arid and a cloud of discontent descends overhead (“Hop?”). Maloo’s friends, an apron-clad wombat, a swimsuit-wearing crocodile, and an unclothed koala, ask him what’s wrong by turns as they walk beside him (“Seven steps. Eight steps. Nine steps. Let us help you, Maloo”). Their sequential attempts at uplifting their friend—with desserts, a soak, and an electric fan—are in vain, until, after the fog has lingered for “one thousand steps,” the pals propel Maloo aloft with a blanket. Three spreads are dedicated to Maloo alone in midair (“Hop!”) as the cloud dispels and Maloo resumes jumping through a floral scene, this time joined by pals on pogo sticks. Rendered in gentle pastel and colored pencil, Godbout’s expressive illustrations offer a meaningful visual expression of depression and of supporting friends in a slump, leaving plenty of room for adults to expound on the spare text. Ages 3–7.

December 1, 2019
Preschool-K Oh, no! Maloo has lost his hop! Once the best hopper around, the young joey is suddenly, quite literally grounded. With slow, sad steps, he walks to the home of his friend Wombat, who tries to cheer him up with a slice of pie, to no avail. Together, they walk to the pond where Crocodile lives, and he offers Maloo a buoyant ball to float upon. But hopping that is not. Let us help you, Maloo, the two friends say on their way to Koala's tree. The little kangaroo droopily submits to the group's efforts until, at last, they find a way to put the bounce back in his step. This sweet friendship story becomes even sweeter when viewed with Godbout's soft illustrations, created with pastels and colored pencils, that fill the book's spreads with warmth and color. Comic moments can be found amid the friends' genuine concern for saddened Maloo, and the spare text requires readers to observe the action within the illustrations. An uplifting tale for those too young to enter the Hundred Acre Wood.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)