Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Favorite characters return in these picture book sequels. Sam McBratney and Charles Fuge reprise their kangaroo hero from I Love It When You Smile in Yes We Can! A promising play date goes downhill quickly when Little Roo, Country Mouse and Quacker Duck engage in some mutual daring but fail in their attempted feats, drawing the others' mockery. Ultimately, Roo's mum saves the day in this affirming if somewhat preachy outing. (Harper, $16.99 32p ages 2-6 ISBN 9780-06-121515-5; June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-From the golden yellow endpapers scattered with leaves to the final, color-saturated spread of three joyous friends, this appealing offering is sure to capture children's fancy. Little Roo, Quacker Duck, and Country Mouse are having a lovely day together making a big pile of leaves, until Roo challenges Duck to jump over a big log. When she fails, the others laugh at her, and so it goes, with each character failing at a task and the others laughing, until everyone is in a bad mood. Along comes Roo's mother, who tells them that no one likes to be ridiculed and suggests that they all show what they can do. After successes and congratulations, Mother asks if they can be friends, which garners an enthusiastic, "Yes we can!" While they are slightly precious, the full-bleed, brightly colored spreads interspersed with full-page illustrations and spot art move the story along nicely. Fuge's characters have expressive faces, effectively capturing their emotions, from laughter to dismay to anger. The large trim size and bright colors will work well for group sharing while the small details will keep lap-sitters entranced. This sweet, if slightly didactic, tale is sure to hit a chord with parents and teachers looking for stories dealing with friendships and being respectful. Libraries that own other books by this team or that have a demand for themes of getting along will likely find this a popular addition.-Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Three friends challenge one another to physical feats unsuited to their skills: Duck to jumping, Roo to tail-chasing, and Mouse to floating. After feelings get hurt, Roo's mama suggests they focus instead on their unique abilities, in a perfectly sound but bland resolution (""'Can we all be friends again?' 'Yes we can!'"") Fuge's expressively drawn animal pals help lighten the mood. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The author of the wildly successful Guess How Much I Love You (1995) tackles competition and compromise. Little Roo, Quacker Duck and Country Mouse are having fun playing in the leaves. Things go awry when Roo boasts to Duck that Roo can jump over logs unlike Duck. Duck responds by having a go, only to fall down. Mouse, who laughs, is dared to float on a puddle, which is Duck's specialty. However, Mouse cannot float. Little Roo finds this amusing and is dared to catch his own tail--Mouse's exceptional talent. Of course, this results in three sulky friends sitting on a log ignoring each other. Fuge's illustration of their petulant frowns is quite amusing. Luckily, Little Roo's mummy comes to figure out the problem. She shows them that they should be proud of their own unique talents. Illustrations of the animals are fun but the background is a bit confusing. In some spreads, it looks like summer, luxuriously verdant. Other pages appear to represent autumn. But this is a minor quibble, as the universal subjects covered will be both helpful and enjoyable for young children. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
