Garcia & Colette Go Exploring

Starred review from April 1, 2017
A rabbit and a fox who are close friends decide to take trips to space and under the sea, separated by distance but in perfect harmony. Clearly best buds, Garcia and Colette nevertheless can't agree on a shared trip destination, so each of them goes off to build a craft: one to explore the stars, another to dive under the sea. Using a giant stack of hodgepodge items including musical instruments, Garcia and Colette construct a rocket and a submarine, respectively, pack nearly but not quite identical stacks of peanut-butter sandwiches, and go on parallel explorations. What follows is a predictable but expertly constructed dual journey, with the watery depths and dark space informing each other in clever and kinetic ways. The two distant locations bleed into each other across the gutter or serve as neighboring counterpoints when smaller panels alternate between the two. Space and the ocean depths are, of course, beautiful, quiet, and, eventually, lonely. The two friends can't wait to meet back and, together, take a new adventure in a vast desert: "There was sand beneath their feet. There were stars above their heads. There was darkness and quiet all around them." Illustrations are dynamic and well-juxtaposed throughout, and the full-speed-ahead enthusiasm of Garcia and Colette is infectious. Telling one story well is enough of a challenge, but this book perfectly balances two stories and the characters within them, adding up to more than the sum. (Picture book. 4-8)

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June 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 2-Garcia the rabbit and Colette the fox are best friends who love to explore, but they part ways when Garcia wants to investigate space and Colette insists on the sea. He builds a rocket, and she assembles a submarine, and with great fanfare they launch their creations. One zooms quickly into the sky while the other glides quietly under the water. The colorful and fun illustrations showcase the beauty of each location: stars and meteors surround Garcia, while Colette is entranced by coral reefs and vibrant fish. Both explorers soon feel a sense of solitude and decide to return to land. Once there, they embark upon a joint expedition by combining their two ships to create a helicopter and take off for the desert. VERDICT Barnaby has penned an entertaining picture book celebrating creative play and togetherness. An easy fit for storytime and a nice addition for most collections.-Amy Nolan, St. Joseph Public Library, MI

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