Starred review from October 16, 2023
New Yorker cartoonist Finck (Let There Be Light, for adults) puts a new spin on the concept of clueless grown-ups in this fresh picture book. With an eloquent, spindly ink line and spots of pastel color, the creator portrays a wide range of natural-world entities engaging in all-too-familiar moments of meeting a child’s exuberance with classically knee-jerk, parental-style admonitions. “You broke it!” rebukes a bird to a chick hatching out of a shell. “Stop squirming!” demands an adult earthworm to a younger. “Stop crying!” says a big cloud to a little rain cloud shedding tears. Finally, a small octopus speaks up for kids everywhere. Having been told to “Keep your hands to yourself!” as it grabs everything in sight, the eight-legged youth answers “I AM JUST BEING ME.” Instead of moving forward on disciplinary autopilot, the big octopus responds in exactly the right way: enfolding the little one in a multi-armed hug. It’s easy to imagine that any human adult reading along will be inspired to do likewise. Ages 3–5.
Starred review from November 1, 2023
Various anthropomorphized animals and natural phenomena scold their children for behaving in accordance with their natures. A chick cracks through its shell, only for its parent to admonish it for breaking its egg. A wolf tells its howling cub to be quiet. A cloud wants its child to stop crying (raining). Over and over again, these parents voice their disapproval. The repetitive structure allows both tension and comedy to steadily build, leaving readers wondering exactly how these series of demands and reprimands will be resolved--after all, aren't these children simply being true to themselves? A pig scolds its child for wallowing in the mud, a frog chides its offspring for leaping into the water, and a worm tells its little one to "stop squirming!" It all culminates when a young octopus finally speaks up: "I am just being me." The enveloping hug from the parent octopus says it all. This brief, simple story wastes no words, instead delivering a wallop of humor and emotion that will both entertain and foster empathy in adults inclined to punish youngsters for simply following their natural inclinations. Squiggly illustrations with minimal outlines and brief splashes of color emphasize the silliness of the demands. The visuals effectively get the action across while letting the absurdity of the parents' orders and concerns speak for themselves. A hilarious and heartwarming expos� of adults' often ridiculous expectations for children. (Picture book. 3-6)
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February 23, 2024
PreS-K-In a compilation of humorous set pieces that turn adult instruction on its head, New Yorker cartoonist Finck hilariously pokes fun at how parents might sound to children in a playful picture book that is a fun read across age ranges. This comical tale demonstrates how kids might perceive out-of-touch and sometimes hypocritical authority figures. Common nags and absurdist reminders from parental figures are juxtaposed with the artist's trademark sketches that deliver the humor: a big fish tells its kid to "sit still." An adult worm tells a little worm to "stop squirming." An adult tornado tells the child tornado, "You're making a mess." VERDICT Kids are seen and validated for being at the receiving end of sometimes ridiculous demands from their adults; adults are comically reminded to let kids be kids. An additional purchase, but funny.-Jane Huh
Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
June 6, 2024
Preschool-Kindergarten Finck, a frequent cartoon contributor to the New Yorker, makes the case here that many adult criticisms of children are flat-out ridiculous. From the opening rebuke, in which a mother bird squawks, "You broke it!" to a baby bird that has just cracked open its shell, Finck presents a series of cartoons that juxtapose an adult's reaction with what the child is doing. A big worm tells a little worm to stop squirming. A full-scale hurricane scolds a young hurricane busy upending trees, houses, and cars: "Don't make a mess." An older tortoise snaps at a young tortoise, "Hurry up!" By the time readers encounter an older octopus telling a young one juggling fish to keep its hands to itself, children and adults alike will realize how children often just do what's in their nature and that adult reactions may not fit the situation. Throughout, Finck's gel-pen line drawings are spare, emphasizing the main conflict in each spread. Finck provides a nice resolution at book's end. The little octopus talks back to the older one, saying: "I am just being me." With that, the big octopus wraps the younger one in a tight eight-armed hug, beautifully underscoring the message of acceptance.
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