How Do You Do?

October 22, 2018
As the sun bakes the Earth—yellow-washed opening pages by Marino
render the heat-induced languor palpable—Water Buffalo and Crane are consumed by their own despair. Then Goat bounds onto the scene with a “How do you do?” and a friendly lick that makes Crane beam. Goat begins to dance “as sudden as summer rain” and the curmudgeonly Water Buffalo snorts but can’t resist dancing, too, “on through the bushes,/ on through the trees,/ on to the next field over.” Framing by Marino (Night Animals) turns equally playful as the characters cavort around a newly green and flowering planet. When Goat runs off in pursuit of a butterfly, Water Buffalo and Crane don’t lapse back into Godot-like misery; instead, they notice the beauty of their surroundings and extend salutations to the animals they now see around them as the lens pulls back, bringing more and more of the planet into view. Theule’s story is not without bumpy spots; it’s not clear whether the rain Goat brings is a metaphor, and readers may wonder why the funny, charismatic animal vanishes without even a goodbye, but the point is well taken: new acquaintances can help “the world feel not so—hot... Nor so small.” Ages 3–6.

October 1, 2018
One animal helps two animals out of the doldrums.Water Buffalo and Crane are in a rut. The weather's too hot, and "when one is all the time hot, days grow long and the world small." Indeed, their hill is exaggeratedly rounded, as if they're standing on a shrunken Earth. The air's yellow; Water Buffalo's eyelids are at half-mast, and he licks sweat off his lip. Their expressions are amusing--but not to them. What can break their sweltering, oppressive gloom? " 'How do you do?' said someone new." An unforeseen rhyme! Goat licks Water Buffalo and Crane, and "then, as sudden as summer rain, Goat started dancing." Dancing is contagious. The three dance so high their heads leave the page. "They forgot the sun. They forgot the heat. Had the earth ever smelled so sweet?" Using gouache paint on watercolor paper, Marino swirls her hot yellows into cooler blues and greens, then finally into blue-pinks. Goat departs, but Crane and Water Buffalo are changed for good: the earth feels pleasant, and there are new animals to greet. Is the "summer rain," as per the text, merely a figure of speech describing Goat's sudden dancing? Or is it as real as the illustrations show it, sprinkling down? Does it matter?The story is serious about its shift from glum to optimistic, but the background colors and the animals' humorous expressions keep it light throughout--anyone who's needed this kind of intervention will relate. (Picture book. 3-7)

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January 1, 2019
Grades 1-3 Suggesting a simple way to banish boredom or ennui, this animal tale leaves sluggish Crane and Water Buffalo feeling much refreshed after a goat capers up, offers the titular greeting, and leads them in a dance from one hot summer field to the next. In Marino's outdoorsy illustrations, which compress the episode onto a small, round mini Earth, no sooner does the goat begin to sashay than cool rain begins to fall, wildflowers perk up, the twisted trees leaf out, and butterflies appear. As for the dancers: They forgot the sun. / They forgot the heat. / Had the earth ever smelled so sweet? Rain and Goat vanish together, but a transformation has been wrought: Meeting someone new makes the world feel not so? Hot. Nor so small. Theule's measured cadences give the tale a dignified tone, and the cavorting animals, though mildly comical, look joyful rather than silly. Join to titles like Nina Crews' One Hot Summer Day (1995) or Karen Hesse's Come On, Rain!? (1999) for a storytime heat wave.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

December 21, 2018

PreS-Gr 1- Water Buffalo and Crane spend their uneventful days together in tedious tropical heat. Their lethargy and routine never change until the day they hear a strange voice asking "How do you do?" Crane is quick to welcome the frisky newcomer, Goat, while Water Buffalo reluctantly but slowly begins to enjoy the change of pace as the three frolic together. At the same time Goat arrives, so does a gentle rain. Trees and flowers soak in the moisture as leaves and blossoms are rejuvenated. Large gouache illustrations on watercolor paper reveal the changes in the landscape and in the friends' attitudes as they open their minds and hearts. When Goat moves on, Water Buffalo and Crane take what they've learned from her and reach out to befriend other animals. The engaging pictures show the change from the arid heat and drooping plants to a revitalized and verdant meadow. "Do you know, meeting someone new makes the world feel not so ...small." VERDICT Great for sharing one-on-one or in a storytime on how to make friends.-Maryann H. Owen, Oak Creek Public Library WI