Squish Squash Squished

PreS-Gr 1--In this uncredited reimagining of the familiar Yiddish tale about a rabbi and the ungrateful resident of a one-room house, famously retold by Margot Zemach in It Could Always Be Worse, two siblings get frustrated being squished in the back seat of their mother's car. Max and Molly complain that being in the backseat is too crowded. Their mother picks up all manner of hitchhikers, from fidgety pigs to a mother dog and puppies. The children soon realize that the more they complain the more animals will be joining them, and settle down. One by one the animals in the backseat are dropped off at their destinations. Max and Molly, with light brown skin and dark hair like their mother, stretch out and revel in their "gracious-spacious" car. This is a humorous nonsensical story about gratitude, told in comic illustrations that make full use of exaggeration. It's odd that the story's origins aren't cited. VERDICT Children who want a modern take on an old story will giggle at the silliness of this version.--Annmarie Braithwaite, New York P.L.

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"There's a touch of the classic 'It Could Always Be Worse' folktale here, which Rector invigorates with her playful, rhyme-infused prose that rolls right off the readaloud tongue. Pencil and digital art has a tidy jauntiness that echoes Mom's mien, and the happy little town populated by a mix of humans and animals (an active lot, judging by the fact the giraffe is jogging and the dogs were out on a bicycle built for four) is a charming venue for all. Audiences may guess that Mom's got an ulterior motive from the get-go here, and either way they'll enjoy the giggle-worthy language and moral about comparative—and probably short-term—peace."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Entertaining update of the classic Yiddish folktale 'It Could Always Be Worse.' . . . The humorous situation, cumulative action, abundance of audience-pleasing animal sounds, and well-earned resolution should make readers glad to go along for the ride."—Horn Book