Review by Booklist Review
Sophisticated book design and clever illustrations explore the concept of wetness. Damp footprints on the title page lead into a pool area, where playing with friends in the pool gets a boy all wet, but he observes that others like to sit poolside, getting only halfway wet. Next, he walks home in the rain, noting how everything outside is wet. His pet fish is always wet, and sadly so is the bottom of the slide. A bench with wet paint, a water fountain, a dog's tongue, a puddle, his face when he's sad the boy finds numerous examples of wetness around him. Designed to feel as though a child is directly sharing his observations, the book features cartoon-style illustrations that make use of simple shapes and colors, and the text font has the appearance of being handwritten in marker. In addition to the concept of wetness, the book also explores cause and effect, such as how drying hands on a shirt then causes the shirt to get wet. A clever, deceptively simple tale brimming with charm.--Whitehurst, Lucinda Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Sookocheff's (Solutions for Cold Feet and Other Little Problems) quiet artwork suits her story's inward, meditative arc. Working with matte tones of light blue, mustard, and gray, she draws a boy thinking about the different ways it's possible to get wet. First, he ventures into the swimming pool ("My feet get wet first"). After his swimming lesson, he plays in a puddle in the rain ("Sometimes it's fun to get wet") then falls in the mud ("and sometimes it's not"). A page turn gives him another thought: "My face gets wet when I cry." His father picks him up and comforts him: "So does my dad's shoulder." There's something comforting about this slow, methodical laying out of possibilities. The point is not to convey knowledge or demonstrate cleverness; rather, it's an exploration of how we come to know what we know. After a bath to wash the mud off ("I have to get wet again"), the boy's dog and cat provide one last thought: "At the end of the day nothing is wet... except good-night kisses." A calming book for the end of a long day. Ages 4-8. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Deceptively simple lines and soft hues bring to life this picture book about how it feels to get wet. Sookocheff, illustrator of the "Buddy & Earl" series, employs acrylic, gouache, and hand-lettering techniques to immerse readers in the story of a nameless young boy who experiences myriad ways of getting wet. For example, the narrative begins with him at a swimming pool, slowly dipping his toe into the water before doing a cannonball into the deep end. "We like getting all-the-way wet," he tells readers, "but some people just get halfway wet." Each subsequent scene reveals new comparisons for children to ponder. Other similarities and differences, such as emotions, are explored using wetness as a springboard. When the young boy splashes in a puddle for fun, joy clearly visible on his face, his smile quickly turns to tears when he falls backward in the mud. While the splash, puddle, and tears are all wet, the feelings they invoke are quite different. Though few words are shared on the page, Sookocheff provides the perfect amount of space for reflection and conversation between children and adults. VERDICT An excellent selection for young storytimes and one-on-one reading moments, this is a first choice for all collections.-Rachel Zuffa, Racine Public Library, WI © Copyright 2017. 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
A young boy introduces the reader to a range of ways to get wet, from entering a swimming pool (Some people just get halfway wet) to standing in the rain (Everything gets wet) to more dramatic methods (landing in a puddle at the bottom of a slide). Sookocheff (illustrator of the Buddy and Earl picture books) reinforces her matter-of-fact text with simple, cool-color illustrations that feature cameos by members of the boys community and family: fellow swimmers, a custodian mopping the floor at school, the boys slobbery pet (My dogs water bowl is wet. So is her tongue and my socks), and his father (My face gets wet when I cry. So does my dads shoulder). Given the jump-cut aspect of many a modern-day picture book, theres something daringly unchic about Sookocheffs commitment to taking her time. Sometimes I get wet VERY slowly spans four pages, each showing a different stage in the boys effort to immerse himself in the swimming pool; they could be four pages in a flip-book. The emphasis on everyday experiences and emotions places this book in Mister Rogers territory, and Sookocheff is a worthy surveyor. nell beram (c) Copyright 2017. 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
A young boy describes the ways and places that he gets wet in his world.From a dip in the pool to splashing in a puddle to enjoying his pets' sloppy kisses, with quite a few damp diversions along the way, Sookocheff's unnamed, pale-skinned first-person narrator catalogs his experience with liquids. He notes that sometimes he gets wet slowly, as when he starts his time at the swimming pool by dipping just his toes in; other times it happens fast, as when a cannonball dive makes a big splash. Sometimes it's voluntaryand fun. Other times, getting wet doesn't feel so good and brings on tears. Luckily his dad's there to comfort him (and get wet himself). Getting wet and dirty leads to a bath: getting wet to get clean. Speaking directly to readers about everyday experiences, the text is convincingly childlike and pleasingly immediate. The simple yet expressive illustrations feature round-headed, swoopy-armed people and large swathes of subdued, opaque blues, grays, and greens. They mirror the action and match the low-key tone of the narrative perfectly. There's gentle humor, compelling (but comfortingly minor) angst, and a loving family to keep the boy safe through his adventures. An intriguing approach to exploring a familiar natural phenomenon, this will appeal to thoughtful young listeners who may want to share their own experiences in response. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
