Review by Booklist Review
The red hat worn by the child in Red Sled (2011) takes a more prominent role in this sequel. Like its predecessor, this picture book is almost wordless but seldom silent. The action begins after the child washes the hat and hangs it on a clothesline to dry. A bear cub yanks it down and runs off with it, pursued by bunnies. A raccoon holds up the hat triumphantly ( Hiii-ya! ) and takes off at full gallop. Meanwhile, the knitted hat begins to unravel. A mouse sees the tassel end ( Wow-za ) and grabs it ( Yoo-ha! ) before a yank of the yarn sweeps him off his feet ( Whoa ). Without a narrative text, viewers may occasionally puzzle over matters such as the disappearance of the bear cub for several pages. While the pencil-and-watercolor illustrations show a fine color sense, particularly in the idyllic settings, young children will be drawn to the animals' headlong action, expressive body language, and amusing facial expressions. An engaging picture-book adventure.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this warm-weather companion to 2011's Red Sled, a boy's pointy hat is as irresistible to the local wildlife as his sled was in the previous book. As in that story, the only text is the occasional sound effect-the "Fffwwup" of a hat being grabbed off the clothesline, or the "shwoop" of a rabbit and mouse holding onto the rapidly unraveling hat for dear life as a bear runs off with it. While this book doesn't have the crisp, wintertime magic of its predecessor, the laughs are on target, as is the "no harm done" resolution. Ages 2-5. Agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-In this almost wordless companion to Red Sled (S & S, 2011), forest animals notice a knit cap hung on a clothesline to dry as a child goes inside his home. A bear finds this object too intriguing to resist and pulls it down, to the delight of the other critters. The cap is tossed around by its tassel until a long line of red yarn creates a foreshadowed moment. As it unravels, children will follow the yarn as it moves the action to the subsequent pages. The attractive pencil and watercolor artwork is framed, making good use of a plain background of color, such as lush greens or white, which allows the details to stand out. The author uses various visual perspectives to show the animals' playful antics. One particularly appealing spread depicts the wide-eyed creatures from high above. So much is expressed with the single comment, "Wut whoa" as the yarn becomes completely undone. Humor is extended through the boy's hair, which forms a peak similar to the shape of his pointy red hat. Amazingly there is sufficient yarn to knit two caps and three bunny sweaters ("Tink-a-tink tink") at the conclusion, but who's quibbling? Enjoyable enough for repeated readings.-Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA (c) Copyright 2013. 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
In this almost wordless book, a frisky bear steals a girl's knitted hat and starts a wild chase with some other animals. It's just a tangle of yarn when they're done, but no matter--the girl knits another hat, plus garments for the animals. The illustrations create plenty of page-turning momentum, and the occasional comment ("Wut-whoa") or sound effect ("Shwooop") adds humor. (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
One red hat plus a troop of enthusiastic animals equals trouble! Young fans will love reading and rereading this nearly wordless continuation of the adventure of the hat from Judge's marvelous winter tale, Red Sled (2011). It's spring-cleaning time now, so the child washes the red hat and hangs it out to dry. Yellow flowers are blooming, little bunnies are hopping, butterflies are flittering, and the sun is shining. When the critters spy the hat pinned to the line, the cub speaks for everyone: "Hrmmm?" At first, an energetic game of keep-away breaks out, with the accompanying sounds and exclamations of pursuit and merriment. Readers will feel the thrill of the game until the illustrations show that things might have gotten out of control. The expressive words--Whoa, shwooop, eeeeeeeeeeeeep--become Wut-whoa and Uhmm-mrr, signaling the animals' realization that the hat is now just one long red strand of yarn with a white pompom on the end. Readers will laugh out loud at the caption when the guilty animals shuffle away from the clothesline, whistling innocently: "Doot-do-doo." Luckily, the little child is a clever one, able to make everything better than before. The watercolor-and-pencil illustrations are deceptively simple and strike the perfect chord of energy and emotion that is the definition of a curious and accidentally naughty preschooler. Crossing fingers for more seasonal "red" tales. (Picture book. 2-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
