Time-out for Sophie

Uh-oh. Sophie needs a time-out. When Mama tells Sophie not once but twice to keep her supper on the table and she chucks it twice onto the floor that's strike one. When Sophie helps Daddy with the laundry by pushing it on the floor, well, that's strike two. But when patient Grandma comes over, Sophie finally listens, earning a Good Sophie! (Of course Sophie gets the last laugh on the final spread.) Wells, who gave the world Max and Ruby, introduces a pint-size mouse with a glint in her eye. Sophie is reckless; she is cavalier in other words, she is totally two. The lovely mixed-media and watercolor illustrations are, for the most part, framed and set on pastel-colored backgrounds, and on occasion, things like flying mac 'n' cheese or a renegade sock break the frame. Some of the best scenes, though, are full-bleed shots of Sophie, a wide-eyed gal in a yellow frock, sitting in time-out. Once again Wells captures a rite of passage the terrible twos both for the little one and for her exasperated parents.--Kelley, Ann Copyright 2010 Booklist

Watch out, Max and Ruby. Wells's new anthropomorphic heroine, Sophie, is a two-year-old rodent with mischief in her eyes and an inability to stay out of trouble. After getting sent to time-out for unnecessary roughness during dinner with Mama (a mac and cheese dinner ends up on the floor twice) and upsetting the laundry Daddy has folded (also twice), Sophie comes up against a master: Granny. Instead of giving Sophie a time-out for repeated eyeglasses-snatching, Granny gives herself one, moving from the sofa to the rocking chair, where she sits implacably, arms folded. Wells's always sunny drawings get an extra punch from collaged pieces of brightly patterned fabrics, and her characters' facial expressions have plenty to say about parental patience and wild toddler abandon. As wise (and concise) as ever, Wells lets readers have guilt-free fun savoring Sophie's naughtiness, but delivers the story's aha moment with an equally deft hand. Good behavior isn't really about obeisance to the rules, readers will gather. It's about understanding what makes us pleasant to be around. Ages 2-up. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

PreS-When Mama gives her young mouse a bowl of macaroni and cheese, the toddler tosses it on the floor. Sophie repeats the behavior with a second serving, earning a time-out. Then, while "helping" Daddy with the laundry, she throws the basket of folded clothing on the floor twice for another time-out. But when she grabs the glasses off Granny's nose, the elderly mouse stops reading to Sophie and takes a time-out for herself with her eyes closed. Sophie gets the message, returns the spectacles, and is rewarded with a cozy read on the sofa. The last page shows her in the bathtub, creating more mischief, in typical toddler fashion. As in her "Max and Ruby" (Viking) and "Yoko" (Hyperion) books, Wells's signature artwork is vivid and pleasingly simple, and the characters are endearing. Reminiscent of Noisy Nora (Dial, 1973), this is a charming addition.-Diane Antezzo, Ridgefield Library, CT (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Little mouse Sophie is having a busy evening. When Mama tells her, "No throwing supper," does Sophie behave? Of course not. She dumps a second bowl of mac and cheese (homemade!), so her mother puts her in a time-out. Next Sophie "helps" Daddy by pushing his neatly folded laundry onto the floor. Daddy gives her another chance, but like any self-respecting toddler, she can't resist a pile of clothes. "Time-out for Sophie!" Like-minded preschoolers will find an ally in this spirited mouse-child, who revels in her gleeful transgressions. Most of the action takes place within cozy, colorful borders, but after the grownups reprimand Sophie, the comforting frame is stripped away and Sophie appears small and powerless. Young listeners, who understand small and powerless all too well, can empathize with Sophie's distress from a safe distance. The narrative pattern is disrupted when Sophie grabs Granny's glasses for the third time in a row and Granny wisely gives herself a time-out. This reversal proves unsettling enough to set Sophie straightfor the time being. As always, Wells portrays her character's developmentally appropriate behavior with genuine respect and affection; the way in which the adults calmly express their frustration offers a gentle (unobtrusive) message to those dealing with their own Sophies. kitty flynn (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Little Sophie gleefully makes mischief until Granny cleverly responds in this soon-to-be favorite about the joys of raising (and being) a toddler. Sophie greets readers on the title page, a bibbed mouse awaiting a meal. With this seemingly innocuous image, Wells makes readers Sophie's accomplices--the bib suggests innocence, while her impish expression forebodes trouble of the hilarious kind. Tonight, Sophie happily throws her dinner on the floor. Gently but firmly, Mama chides her and makes more. The throwing becomes exuberant, and it's time-out for Sophie. Daddy fares no better when his adorable daughter wants to help with laundry. Folded clothes are tipped; on the second try they're flying, leading to another time-out. But when Sophie asks for a book and then takes Grandma's glasses repeatedly, it's Granny who goes into time-out. With the tables turned on the puckish toddler, Sophie re-evaluates. Wells' signature mixed-media illustrations are at their best: playful, fresh, deceptively simple yet intricately rendered and absolutely revealing. A bespectacled Sophie's self-satisfaction while Granny extends a gentle and patient hand; the loving tenderness Sophie shows when placing the glasses on Granny's nose; the cuddly deliciousness of the two reading together--all affirm Wells' skill at depicting family relationships and their attendant challenges and joys. Readers will clamor for more of the irrepressible Sophie, while parents will secretly smile--sheer delight. (Picture book. 2-5)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Uh-oh. Sophie needs a time-out. When Mama tells Sophie not once but twice to keep her supper on the table—and she chucks it twice onto the floor—that's strike one. When Sophie "helps" Daddy with the laundry by pushing it on the floor, well, that's strike two. But when patient Grandma comes over, Sophie finally listens, earning a "Good Sophie!" (Of course Sophie gets the last laugh on the final spread.) Wells, who gave the world Max and Ruby, introduces a pint-size mouse with a glint in her eye. Sophie is reckless; she is cavalier—in other words, she is totally two. The lovely mixed-media and watercolor illustrations are, for the most part, framed and set on pastel-colored backgrounds, and on occasion, things like flying mac 'n' cheese or a renegade sock break the frame. Some of the best scenes, though, are full-bleed shots of Sophie, a wide-eyed gal in a yellow frock, sitting in time-out. Once again Wells captures a rite of passage—the terrible twos—both for the little one and for her exasperated parents. Copyright 2012 Booklist Reviews.

Watch out, Max and Ruby. Wells's new anthropomorphic heroine, Sophie, is a two-year-old rodent with mischief in her eyes and an inability to stay out of trouble. After getting sent to time-out for unnecessary roughness during dinner with Mama (a mac and cheese dinner ends up on the floor twice) and upsetting the laundry Daddy has folded (also twice), Sophie comes up against a master: Granny. Instead of giving Sophie a time-out for repeated eyeglasses-snatching, Granny gives herself one, moving from the sofa to the rocking chair, where she sits implacably, arms folded. Wells's always sunny drawings get an extra punch from collaged pieces of brightly patterned fabrics, and her characters' facial expressions have plenty to say about parental patience and wild toddler abandon. As wise (and concise) as ever, Wells lets readers have guilt-free fun savoring Sophie's naughtiness, but delivers the story's aha moment with an equally deft hand. Good behavior isn't really about obeisance to the rules, readers will gather. It's about understanding what makes us pleasant to be around. Ages 2–up. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Jan.)

PreS—When Mama gives her young mouse a bowl of macaroni and cheese, the toddler tosses it on the floor. Sophie repeats the behavior with a second serving, earning a time-out. Then, while "helping" Daddy with the laundry, she throws the basket of folded clothing on the floor twice for another time-out. But when she grabs the glasses off Granny's nose, the elderly mouse stops reading to Sophie and takes a time-out for herself with her eyes closed. Sophie gets the message, returns the spectacles, and is rewarded with a cozy read on the sofa. The last page shows her in the bathtub, creating more mischief, in typical toddler fashion. As in her "Max and Ruby" (Viking) and "Yoko" (Hyperion) books, Wells's signature artwork is vivid and pleasingly simple, and the characters are endearing. Reminiscent of Noisy Nora (Dial, 1973), this is a charming addition.—Diane Antezzo, Ridgefield Library, CT