Alma and the Beast

June 3, 2019
Alma has a thick coat of silvery fur, and her world, including her house and the trees around it, is covered in luxurious hair. Shapiro paints the tresses in shades of chestnut, rust, and slate, following Alma’s daily routine: “She braided the trees... combed the grass... and petted the roof, as one does when the days grow chilly and pink.” One day, a little beast—a human girl—strays into Alma’s garden. Its earnest eyes are just as deep as Alma’s, but it wears a dress and sports no locks except for the hair on its head. When Alma is able to master her own fear, the two retrace the beast’s steps home, and a splendid vertical spread shows the place where their two worlds meet. With all its soft fur, Alma’s world seems warm and comfortable, while the human world, by contrast, feels a bit cold and stark (“Marvelous, indeed! Very bald!” Alma exclaims). It’s no surprise that the furry protagonist is able to offer the girl—Mala, it turns out—friendship across realms. What’s fresh is Shapiro’s distinctive way of making readers consider not only cultural norms, but everything the two have in common. Ages 3–7. Agent: Charlotte Sheedy, Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency.

June 15, 2019
A beast-girl and a girl-beast become friends in a hairy landscape. "Alma's day began like any other." The big-eyed galumph covered in flowing gray fur picks "one butter breakfast tulip" and tends to her trees that are in need of braiding, the grass that needs combing, and the roof that needs a pat. Alma is sitting in her garden, a white "plumpooshkie butterfly" perched on her head, when a "little beast" comes to disturb her. Readers will quickly realize that the "beast" is a child like themselves, a very prim white girl in a yellow dress, but "Alma was frightened. She had never seen a hairless, button-nose beast before!" The girl, Mala, shouts that she is "TERRIBLY, TREMENDOUSLY, STUPENDOUSLY LOST," and after some hesitation, Alma decides to help. The two become friends (Alma confused about the hairlessness of the girl's environment), and "Mala's day ended like any other." Busy, lush paintings illustrate the strangeness of Alma's thoroughly furred world, contrasting with the slightly long but well-paced and neatly structured story. While the overarching conceit--getting children to question their definition of "beast"--is clever, the meat of the story is somewhat lacking; tepid prose and weak characterization mean that most of the story is carried by the rich illustrations and the assumptions about beasts and not-beasts. A solid but ultimately unexciting entry in the who's-the-beast genre. (Picture book. 4-7)

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October 18, 2019

PreS-Gr 2-Two worlds. Two creatures. One adorable book about befriending those who appear to be different. Furry little Alma lives in a land where everything-trees, rocks, living creatures-is covered in hair, which she combs. One day, a strange, hairless beast, dressed in a lemon fabric dress and cap, appears. Alma helps the lost girl make her way home, showing off the landscape as they walk. Halfway through, the story's perspective literally flips. Up they go in Alma's world, and on the next page, down they head into Mala's. This alternative world is like ours, verdant and magical in its own way, thanks to Shapiro's vivid imagination and skill with watercolor, gouache, and pencil. Now it's Mala's turn to guide her guest. The locale is exciting and confusing, but with the help of her new friend, Alma quickly picks up on some of the local customs before departing. With lessons on friendship, culture, and helping others, and, language and art reminiscent of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, this endearing picture book is richly rewarding. VERDICT Shapiro invites readers to partake in a cultural exchange between two very different worlds and see how friendship can bloom between unexpected pairs.-Rachel Forbes, Oakville Public Library, Ont.

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2019
Preschool-G Everything in Alma's world is hairy, from the trees to the mushrooms to the plumpooshkie butterflies (imagine tiny winged shih tzus) to Alma herself. Her days are spent grooming the lawn, braiding the trees, and petting the shaggy roof of her home. But when a mostly hairless beast (a young human girl) wanders into Alma's yard, a charming adventure unfolds. After learning the beast is simply sad and lost, Alma decides to help her find her way back home. Their journey takes them through a whimsical landscape of fiery red(headed) woods, woolly cliffs, and mustache trees, until they reach the large weeping willow bridging their two worlds. Persimmon, goldenrod, cinnamon, hunter green, ocher, and slate blue come together in folksy, striated scenes created with watercolors, gouache, and colored pencils. Shapiro's worlds, both hairy and human, are warmly imaginative, and young readers will love the idea that an entirely new realm might be accessible simply by climbing the right tree.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)