April 3, 2017
Having established that he’s big, gray, and not wearing any pants, a young elephant hits on the obvious conclusion: “I’m a boulder.” The elephant’s—er, boulder’s—enthusiasm wanes when he discovers that boulders aren’t any good at responding to knock-knock jokes. (His mother is likewise less than thrilled to find her offspring racing around the forest without his overalls on.) Watkins follows the brash absurdity of Rude Cakes with a quieter, though still quirky, offering. The elephant’s loneliness hangs like a cloud over the story—and clouds are yet another identity the elephant tries on, given that he’s gray, puffy, “and... nope. Clouds never wear pants.” The elephant’s internal monologue and external outbursts move the story forward, and commentary from acorn-juggling squirrels and perplexed owls adds comic relief. “Whooo knewww clouds could walk?” wonders one owl as the elephant sobs after the bird it was playing with flies away. Washes of muted color and careful pencil detailing capture the swings of the elephant’s emotions, and although he doesn’t have much luck on the friend front, his mother’s softening attitude toward pants-free fun suggests brighter days ahead. Ages 3–5. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio.
April 15, 2017
Pants can be such a hindrance when it comes to imaginative play.Pete is a young elephant with a great imagination and a love of knock-knock jokes. Pete, whose discarded pants are hanging in the branches of a tree on the copyright page, first imagines he is a boulder: he's big, he's gray, and he's not wearing pants. Cleverly, Watkins depicts Pete's fellow (real) boulders with tiny lines that evoke closed eyes and mouths, but regardless, they fail to respond when Pete initiates a knock-knock joke. Perhaps Pete is a squirrel? He's gray, he likes acorns, and he's not wearing pants. At this point, Watkins introduces several actual squirrels who form a peanut gallery making humorous asides, their job taken over by a group of owls later on, confusing Pete for other animals and things and repeatedly referring to his pants (or lack thereof). Mom is unimpressed with Pete's pantslessness, but the next day, after Pete experiences more disappointments on the knock-knock front, she steps in to play with her child, his forgotten pants in her hand as she joyously picks him up with her trunk. Watkins' artwork recalls a combination of Maurice Sendak, Laurent de Brunhoff, and Melanie Watt. Pete is rather blocky, and the squirrels are manic. Knock, knock. Who's there? An awesome mom of a kid with no pants. (Picture book. 5-8)
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June 1, 2017
PreS-K-Boulders don't wear pants. Squirrels don't wear pants. So why should carefree little gray elephants have to wear pants? Oh yeah, because Mom said so. This quirky tale mixes images with spare text as it follows Pete the elephant through his imaginative romps. Mom trails after him, holding his britches with her trunk. The whimsical, sketchy illustrations seem simple but have many hidden delights, such as boulders coming to life and woodland creatures peering out from behind branches. Children might enjoy finding the small bird who observes the scenes on most of the pages and occasionally makes itself known with a "coo coo!" and other recurring images of acorns, worms poking out of the ground, and owls. The illustration of Pete tucked in his bed at night surrounded by pictures of his pachyderm family and images from his daily life is especially sweet, and the expression on the face of the elephant mother as she empathizes with her son in the end is touchingly recognizable. The offbeat humor is similar to that of Those Darn Squirrels and other Adam Rubin/Daniel Salmieri books, though less text-heavy. Fans of Rudecakes will be happy to see a new book by this author/illustrator. VERDICT A fun addition for silly storytimes and kids who love underwear jokes.-Suzanne LaPierre, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
May 15, 2017
Preschool-G Watkins applies the same silly spirit found in Rude Cakes (2015) to his story of Pete, a young elephant undergoing a bit of an identity crisis. One morning, Pete approaches a row of boulders and notices that he has a number of things in common with them. Like him, they are big, gray, and not wearing pants. Eureka! Pete must be a boulder! But his excitement dissolves when his new comrades maintain a stony silence in the face of his knock-knock joke. After storming off, Pete comes upon a tree full of squirrels, which happen to be gray and pantless, like a certain someone. The gag repeats and is comically echoed in the squirrels' own deductions that Pete is undoubtedly a boulder. Over expressive, softly smudged pastel illustrations, Watkins keeps the joke going with small variations and well-timed appearances from Pete's nattily dressed mother, until a sweetly exuberant ending is reached. The escalating humor is tailor-made for little ones, as is the gentle affirmation that being oneself is the best thing of all.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)
January 1, 2018
Young elephant Pete concludes that because he is big, gray, and pants-less, he must be a...boulder. When Pete's exasperated mother insists that he put on some pants, Pete's spirits are clearly diminished: conformity is an uncomfortable fit. Dialogue balloons incorporated into the muted art provide a sense of forward propulsion. Pair with Mr. Tiger Goes Wild for another story about sartorial freedom and self-knowledge.
(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
September 1, 2017
Young elephant Pete concludes that because he is big, gray, and pants-less, he must be a...boulder. Starting with this seemingly silly premise, Watkins (Rude Cakes) allows his story to evolve into something more: a heartfelt tale about finding oneself. When Pete's exasperated mother insists that he put on some pants, Pete's spirits are clearly diminished: conformity is an uncomfortable fit. Dialogue balloons incorporated into the art provide a sense of forward propulsion. A muted palette of mostly dusty gray tones hints at some of the story's underlying melancholy. Pete's initial exuberance is drawn in strong contrast to the constricted feelings that arise when he's forced to wear pants. Pete's mother, who tries to balance her love for her son with what she thinks is appropriate behavior, wears her concern on her face. Therefore, it's affirming that when faced with a choice between Pete's happiness and conformity, she ultimately sides with her son. Pete and his mother discover the joy of being seen for who you are and for having the freedom to express that...pants or no pants. Pair with Peter Brown's Mr. Tiger Goes Wild (rev. 11/13) for another story about sartorial freedom and self-knowledge. minh le
(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)