Red Sled (Red Sled #1)

PreS-Gr 2--The premise of this book is simple; the execution is anything but. A child (Caucasian, of indeterminate gender) leaves a red sled outside the house one night, and an ever-growing group of animals borrows it for some snowy sliding fun. Having noticed the footprints, the child realizes what happened and waits to join the critters the next night. Pencil and watercolor spreads create a basic wintry mountain environment, but the stars of the show are the expressive animals. Their childlike delight in each dynamic scene brings a sense of excitement to the story. The text consists entirely of sound effects, laid out on the page in varying font sizes to evoke a sense of movement. The book begs to be read aloud and offers wonderful opportunities for audience participation. This delightful flight of fancy conveys the true excitement of sledding with the imagined fun of befriending wildlife. A gem.--Heidi Estrin, Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

With a few well-chosen sound effects, a cozy winter landscape, and a group of enthusiastic, four-legged sledders, Judge (Strange Creatures: The Story of Walter Rothschild and His Museum) creates a story that's both cuddly and smartly paced. "Scrunch scrinch scrunch scrinch scrunch scrinch" is just the noise a bear's padded paws might make walking across the snow as he nicks a red sled he finds leaning up against a house--he's intent on a little evening recreation. "Gadung gadung gadung gadung" is the noise the sled makes as it courses, shuddering, down the hill under the combined weight of the bear, a moose, and a rabbit. "Sssssffft" is the sound it makes as the three carve out a turn past a tree with a couple of curious raccoon pups and an opossum on it, then "Whoa" as the spectators drop onto the crowded sled. Judge makes the animals fuzzy and well-padded without slipping into sentimentality. Her spreads are lucidly drafted, the action is easy to follow--peppy, but never frenetic--and the conclusion is both inevitable and satisfying. Ages 2-5. (Nov.)

Copyright 2011 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

"Perfect for toddlers - wonderfully illustrated in pencil and watercolor with big bold images and no real words, just the sounds of woodland animals that have fun with a kid's red sled.... It's strikingly original and totally inspired."
—San Francisco Chronicle, December 25, 2011