I Won a What?

January 25, 2016
After Vernick’s unnamed narrator inadvertently wins a whale at a carnival, the boy’s fair-minded parents allow him to bring Nuncio home on a “trial basis.” Fortunately, they already have an “enormous swimming pool” for the hulking blue whale to occupy. Vernick (First Grade Dropout) and Neubecker (The Problem with Not Being Scared of Kids) play the situation for both laughs and touching “aww” moments from start to finish, with the artist’s characteristically bold illustrations readily complementing the humor of Vernick’s writing. The corners of Nuncio’s smile peek out of the water as the boy and his parents arrive with wheelbarrows of seafood for him to eat (Neubecker dutifully x’s out the eyes of every fish and octopus), and the boy has a bit of trouble describing the precise lilt of Nuncio’s song (“At first I think it’s a musical cow. Or a broken, slowed-down siren. Possibly a hurt donkey”). Sweet without turning saccharine, it’s proof that the best kinds of love can come from the most unexpected places. Ages 3–7. Author’s agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt Literary Agency.

February 1, 2016
Move over Clifford the Big Red Dog--here's a new take on the big-pet story. As the dark-skinned narrator approaches a booth at a fair, "practical" parents close behind, the child says, "I have to win this goldfish," because practicality prohibits "anything fluffy. Or shaggy. Or feathery. Or that eats mice." When the tossed coin lands not in a fishbowl at the booth but in a tiny, glass bowl at the back of the display, the barker proclaims, "You won Nuncio!" (who turns out to be a whale). The child's parents aren't happy, but they are "very, very fair" so they agree to bring Nuncio home, "on a trial basis." At first, they find having a whale in their backyard to be a trial. Even the proud owner is none-too-happy about cleaning out the pool. But then they discover that Nuncio can help them in practical ways--like spraying water from his blowhole to help wash the car, for example--and all's well that ends well. That the family is of color is never noted in the text, but it's a welcome, matter-of-fact characterization detail conveyed through illustrations. Throughout, the pictures go along with the story's absurd premise and augment the humor of the text by employing a flat, cartoon aesthetic and bright colors. A whale of a tale. (Picture book. 4-7)

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February 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-"I have to win this goldfish." Thus opens the tale of a boy who really wants a pet. His parents, he laments, are too practical. They won't let him have anything fluffy, shaggy, or feathery-or, heaven forbid, anything that eats mice. But tonight he'll be allowed to keep what he wins at the carnival goldfish booth. His aim is true. "Where's my goldfish?" he asks. Alas, he doesn't win a fish. He wins Nuncio, a great blue whale with eager eyes and a perennial smile. "Impractical," his parents moan. But they keep their promise, and Nuncio, tugged on a multiwheeled platform behind their little car, comes to live in their conveniently huge swimming pool. The contrast between the narrator's delight and his parents' vexation is as evident as their postures and facial expressions. While almost every spread is dominated by the enormous Nuncio, some humans are happier than others about bringing in cartloads of fish or being serenaded with sounds reminiscent of a broken siren. When Dad says, "This isn't working out," the young whale owner has to think fast. Nuncio lends a fin in the garden and a spout for the car wash, proving himself a practical family pet-as Dad says, "A real keeper." Reminiscent of countless tales of extraordinary household pets, I Won a What? is a worthwhile contribution. VERDICT With a simple text and entertaining illustrations, this is a heartwarming picture book-and what happens on the very last page is downright beautiful.-Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2016
Preschool-G It's tough having practical parents. The young, unnamed narrator of this story wants a pet, but his parents say no. So when a carnival comes to town, the boy seizes his chance to play the goldfish game. What he wins, however, is Nuncio, who is a bit bigger than a goldfish. Or a dog. Or a goat. Or a baby elephant. Or a refrigerator. He is the Clifford of fish: a giant blue whale who comes to live in the family's pool on a trial basis. Turns out, Nuncio may be a handful, but he is completely worth it. The pencil-and-digital illustrations are tons of fun, with most pages filled with Nuncio's distinctively blue, smiling face, while double-page spreads show Nuncio surrounded by a cast of children. I wonder what he thinks about me, the boy muses. If Nuncio's happy expression isn't enough to answer the question, the text bubble on the next page ( I won a boy! ) proves that the whale is just as thrilled with the match, and young readers are bound to agree.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)