by Tiffany Stone (Author) Mike Lowery (Illustrator)
The hilarious team behind Knot Cannot is back, this time with the story of curmudgeonly Wood and a girl determined to be his friend.
An imaginative girl in the forest knows that the piece of wood she finds could be a unicorn or a ship or a ladder. But Wood would rather be sleeping like a log. Despite all the girl's attempts to get him to play with her and her beloved stuffed bunny, Prince Fluffybutt, Wood refuses to branch out. But when the girl really gets in trouble, Wood has to look deep within himself to see if it's possible to turn over a new leaf.
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PreS-K-As cheerful and dynamic as a comic book, this work for the very young demonstrates the importance of doing the right thing. A piece of cut wood-a log-is sleeping in the forest when a small girl who has black hair and brown skin comes along and ruins everything. The girl and her bunny companion, Prince Fluffybutt, imagine all kinds of games involving Wood, such as riding Wood like a unicorn, but the log keeps escaping. When Wood finally falls asleep he wakes up to the sound of crying and has to debate if he should go and help the child or not. Funny details fill the page, but at its heart, the story takes on selfishness and finds a way to make everyone happy. VERDICT A richly executed comedic piece, this hides tenderness in rough bark but is a real softie when it comes to charm. With funny wordplay and pacing to delight with every turn of the page, this one's a must.
Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
In a loose conceptual follow-up to the creators’ Knot Cannot, Wood is sleeping like the log he is (beside a sign that reads "DO NOT DISTURB! THIS MEANS YOU!") when a brown-skinned girl enters the forest and quickly becomes determined to cast Wood as her partner in pretend play. "Look, Prince Fluffybutt," she says to the stuffed toy rabbit cradled in her arm: "A UNICORN!" Can Wood imagine himself as fabulous steed to her princess? Yes. Will he do it? No: "Why go out on a limb for a stranger?" After a series of rebuffs-the child keeps trying to cast the rankled log in sidekick roles ranging from boat to ship to ladder-Wood hears the child’s sobs and finds her stuck in a tree with Prince Fluffybutt. "Maybe it was time to turn over a new leaf," Wood thinks: "Yes, Wood would." This story seems all fun and games, from Stone’s could-would refrain and long string of wood-related wordplay to Lowery’s clear-lined panels, which move between the girl’s fantasies and Wood’s grumpy reality. But ultimately, the payoff is anything but trivial, as the wooden protagonist finds a warm feeling in helping another. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 2021 Publisher’s Weekly, LLC Used with permission.