PreS-Gr 2—In a gorgeous nocturnal landscape of deep purples and blues, four figures go marching along. The three big ones are holding nets, and the little one trails slightly behind. Suddenly, they spy a bright pink bird in the tree. "Hello, birdie," calls the little one. "Shh," reprimands the first one. "SHH!" hisses the next. "We have a plan," explains the third, holding up a birdcage. They tiptoe towards the bird with hilariously expressive body language until, "ready one…ready two…ready three…GO!" But the bird easily evades them, and the three end up in a tangle while the little one looks on. The scenario and "shhs" repeat, and finally, while the big ones are literally down the creek without a paddle, the little one makes friends. In a breathtakingly rich spread, a flock of colorful, jewel-toned birds appear and drive the schemers into retreat. Echoing the opening, the big ones quick-step along under the moonlit sky, nervously glancing behind them and dragging the little one along. The story seems over, but they haven't quite learned their lesson yet. A masterful delight, this crafty caper has huge kid appeal and a title/refrain that will easily sneak into the family lexicon: shh! We have a plan. This perfect blend of circular narrative, deceptively spare art, and humor becomes a story that kids will want to read at storytime, at home, and to themselves if no adult is handy. Plan to make this title a first purchase.—
Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Library, MNIn spare, humorous text and blocky digital illustrations, four hunters (three of them outfitted with nets) pursue a vibrantly red bird through blue-hued woods. The three larger hunters shush their smallest, netless cohort when he calls to the bird. Subsequent bird-catching attempts result in slapstick pratfalls, but the littlest hunter's methods prevail, charming not only that first red bird, but an entire multicolored flock.
A sure-fire crowd-pleaser, Shh! We Have a Plan pairs bold visuals with a gleefully silly sense of humor. Chris Haughton limits the palette of his retro-looking illustrations to shades of blue, with the exception of the orange and magenta bird. Flitting from page to page, the bird is as eye-catching to the reader as it is to the friends chasing it. The simple plot moves forward through repeated words and phrases. The friends approach the bird (“Ready one . . . Ready two . . . Ready three . . . GO!”) and fail spectacularly, again and again, to net it. The repetition aids beginning readers, and enhances the book’s slapstick quality. Children will relate to the smallest of the four friends. While his larger peers want to capture the bird, he wants to befriend it. His approach eventually proves the right one, attracting multitudes of birds in a pay-off of explosive color. A great choice for read alouds, with plenty of possibilities for funny voices and dramatic pauses.
With cover art recalling Ungerer's The Three Robbers (rev. 6/62) and the wry sensibility of Klassen's Hat books, this is a natural choice for any storytime. A spare, humorous text pairs with blocky digital illustrations to tell the story of four companions (three of them outfitted with nets) out hunting in the woods; there they spy a bird, its vibrant red plumage interrupting the controlled palette of blue shades. The three larger hunters shush their smallest, netless cohort when he calls out, "Hello birdie." "We have a plan," they admonish him. Subsequent bird-catching attempts stretch out over page turns to enhance the slapstick humor of the hunters' pratfalls. The littlest one, persistent in his ongoing attempts to make contact with the bird, acts on the adage that it's easier to catch flies with honey than vinegar -- or in this case, with crumbs rather than nets. Indeed, not only does that first red bird fly to his outstretched hand, a flock of multicolored birds assembles, making good on the book's front-matter epigraph from Einstein: "Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding." The avian peaceable kingdom is short-lived, however, when the three hunters reappear with their nets -- they clearly haven't absorbed the little one's ethos. The birds chase them away, but the closing spread -- "LOOK! a squirrel" -- humorously underscores their failure to learn from their small friend. Plan on repeat readings. megan dowd lambert
Be the first reader to comment.
Comment Policy:
Comment should not be empty !!!