Spots in a box

A guinea fowl who lacks the dense white speckles of his brethren tries to find an acceptable substitute, scrawling out a letter that reads "please send spots." The wild variety of spots that arrive "in a promising package tied up with string" let Ward exercise her considerable artistic talents as the dewy-eyed fowl contends with spots that are far too large, much too tiny, or "no spots at all" (die-cut holes drive this particular effect home). Ward's watercolors showcase her signature attention to detail, and foil and glitter accents enliven the pages as the guinea fowl tries out "Spots that lit up, useful only at night.../ and some that were simply too sparkly and bright." (Librarians beware: some readers will find it impossible to resist drawing the outline of the bird in a spread in which his body is transformed into a scattering of numbered "connect-the-dots spots.") Ward's whimsical imaginings and tight-as-a-drum verse supply plenty of entertainment on their own, but a subtle message about difference gives the story some heft, too. Ages 3-7. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

PreS-Gr 2-A die-cut cover ushers readers into the company of a guinea fowl "without any spots,/which [makes] him feel odd/'cause the others had lots." So he writes a letter requesting some. When boxes of spots of all kinds start arriving, however, they are all wrong. Some are too tall and long, others too small. There are "inky-font dots" and dots made from "splats, drips, and blots." Die-cuts reveal spots that "turn[ed] out to be no spots at all," and foil spots are too "sparkly and bright." There are even spots more suitable for other kinds of creatures. Finally, though, a box arrives with multicolored, textured spots that, while not usual guinea fowl attire, put a smile on this bird's beak, and he dons them "the very next day." There is so much to enjoy here. Large, humorous watercolor illustrations depict the guinea fowl in profile with an empty box on his head as tiny spots spill across the pages,becoming entangled in ribbons unraveling from a "box of not-spots," or connecting "connect-the-dots spots" (which children might be tempted to imitate) with pencil in beak. The brief, well-rhymed text invites readers to chime in, and there are interesting spots to see and even feel as well. An important message about having the courage to be different is an added bonus. VERDICT A first purchase for every library.-Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Greenwich, CT © Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Tried of feeling "odd," a spotless guinea fowl sends away for spots, and he gets all kinds: die-cut spots; "connect-the-dots spots"; and, eventually, colorful, textured "spots that were wrong / in the right sort of way." The story suffers from clumsy wording, including the final be-yourself-and-others-will-like-you moral, but the creative dot variants, engaging tactile elements, and expressive-eyed fowl will entice readers. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A guinea fowl who lacks the dense white speckles of his brethren tries to find an acceptable substitute, scrawling out a letter that reads "please send spots." The wild variety of spots that arrive "in a promising package tied up with string" let Ward exercise her considerable artistic talents as the dewy-eyed fowl contends with spots that are far too large, much too tiny, or "no spots at all" (die-cut holes drive this particular effect home). Ward's watercolors showcase her signature attention to detail, and foil and glitter accents enliven the pages as the guinea fowl tries out "Spots that lit up, useful only at night.../ and some that were simply too sparkly and bright." (Librarians beware: some readers will find it impossible to resist drawing the outline of the bird in a spread in which his body is transformed into a scattering of numbered "connect-the-dots spots.") Ward's whimsical imaginings and tight-as-a-drum verse supply plenty of entertainment on their own, but a subtle message about difference gives the story some heft, too. Ages 3–7. (Feb.)

PreS-Gr 2—A die-cut cover ushers readers into the company of a guinea fowl "without any spots,/which [makes] him feel odd/'cause the others had lots." So he writes a letter requesting some. When boxes of spots of all kinds start arriving, however, they are all wrong. Some are too tall and long, others too small. There are "inky-font dots" and dots made from "splats, drips, and blots." Die-cuts reveal spots that "turn[ed] out to be no spots at all," and foil spots are too "sparkly and bright." There are even spots more suitable for other kinds of creatures. Finally, though, a box arrives with multicolored, textured spots that, while not usual guinea fowl attire, put a smile on this bird's beak, and he dons them "the very next day." There is so much to enjoy here. Large, humorous watercolor illustrations depict the guinea fowl in profile with an empty box on his head as tiny spots spill across the pages,becoming entangled in ribbons unraveling from a "box of not-spots," or connecting "connect-the-dots spots" (which children might be tempted to imitate) with pencil in beak. The brief, well-rhymed text invites readers to chime in, and there are interesting spots to see and even feel as well. An important message about having the courage to be different is an added bonus. VERDICT A first purchase for every library.—Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Greenwich, CT