The Creature of Habit
by Jennifer E Smith (Author) Leo Espinosa (Illustrator)
A story for creatures of habit big and small who might be surprised by the joy of trying something new.
On the island of Habit, there lives a very big creature with big teeth, big eyes, and very big feet. Every day the creature does the exact same things in the exact same order. He gets up in the morning, eats three pineapples and two bananas, collects shells, says hello to the fish, rocks, trees, and crabs of the island before he eats three more pineapples and two bananas, and finally goes to bed. It is exactly the way the big creature likes it.
That is, until a small boat carrying a very small creature with small teeth, small eyes, and very, very small feet arrives on the island. At first the big creature is excited to show the little creature around and explain how things are done on the island, but the small creature has his own ideas. He does not like pineapples or bananas, but he does like coconuts. Instead of saying hello to the fish, he swims with them. And instead of collecting shells, he collects...well, everything else. Also, the little creature does something different every day--it's madness, thinks the big creature.
Can these two creatures learn to appreciate each other? Is the island big enough for both of them? Told with heart and humor, this is a story about being open to new ways of doing things.
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Kirkus
Sure to support little ones’ reading habits.
Publishers Weekly
A creature from the island of Habit learns to break out of routine in this encouraging play-on-words story from YA author Smith (Field Notes on Love). As Habit's sole resident, a large round white creature "with very big teeth. And very big eyes. And very, very big feet" is accustomed to a consistent daily schedule: a meal of three pineapples and two bananas; a friendly tour of the island to hunt seashells and greet the fish, trees, rocks, and a crab; another meal; and a cozy bedtime involving a toothbrush custom-made for his two buck teeth. When a blue "very small creature" unexpectedly arrives, the "very big creature" is initially shocked that the traveler doesn't want to stick to the program--evidently preferring to eat coconuts and oranges, build sandcastles, and vary his sleep schedule. Before long, though, the free-spirited visitor's unusual activities and unpredictable schedule tempt the change-averse creature, opening his eyes to pleasures he'd overlooked and inviting him to occasionally do things differently--a final moment under the stars suggests that different can even be wondrous. Employing tropical hues, digital illustrations by Espinosa (No More Naps!) have a hip screen-printed quality that playfully freshens up Smith's familiar message about staying open to change. Ages 3-7. (Oct.)
Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
JUV039050 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Emotions & Feelings
JUV039090 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | New Experience
Habit
Adaptability (Psychology)
