Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Sam finds himself posed with a difficult decision-to jump in the puddle before him and explore its wonders or listen to his mother and stay dry and tidy. Letting his thoughts run wild, Sam envisions himself as a polka-dotted crocodile, a dapper penguin, and a purple polar bear and splishing and splashing in the puddle. Ultimately, Sam's dreams come true as his mom leaps into the water along with her son. The singsong rhyming text and the chant "Jump, Puddle Jumper, Jump!" offer a great read-aloud, with repetitive sentences perfect for young audiences. Cote's colorful, vibrant, and slightly cartoony illustrations complement the imaginative text. VERDICT Playful and cheery, Puddle Jumpers is a great choice for preschoolers, providing a plethora of opportunities to identify colors and animals.-Kaitlin Malixi, Virginia Beach Public Library, VA © Copyright 2016. 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 Kirkus Book Review
A little boy imagines himself with many animals as he jumps into a puddle. His mother admonishes, "No! No jumping in puddles! / You must keep clean today!" But the puddle whispers and tempts him: "Jump, Puddle Jumper, jump!" So the fair-skinned boy plants his galoshes squarely in the water and wishes himself away, pretending to be a frog, a crocodile, a penguin, and more. Each double-page spread focuses on one animal with a descriptive, rhyming couplet, echoing the refrain with various action words. When he is with a crocodile (green with pink polka dots), it is "Snap, Puddle Jumper, snap!" When he is with a polar bear (with purple hair instead of white), it is "Plunge, Puddle Jumper, plunge!" Each animal has a water or water-adjacent habitateven the toucan in the rain-streaked sky. The wide variety of creatures from a manatee to a dragonfly is appreciated. However, the flattened art and lack of dramatic action hardly make this story spring. Luckily the repetition propels it forward, and the surprise ending when Mother jumps in too will make for many smiles. The cheery, yellow-slickered tot brims with child exuberance. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
