Review by Booklist Review
Tabor, 2019 Geisel Award winner for Fox the Tiger (2018), offers a cozy take on the theme that one good turn deserves another. Snail, having spotted an entire patch of yummy cabbage on the other side of a road, slides onto the blacktop only to be narrowly missed by a speeding car and then jostled by a crowd of rude ants. When rain starts to fall, though, kindhearted Snail invites the beleaguered ants into his capacious and comfortably furnished shell for tea. Later, he continues his determined journey until a crow forces him to take evasive action and another car leaves him so discombobulated that, when he reaches the road's edge at last, he discovers himself back where he started. But perhaps that cabbage isn't out of reach yet. The softly hued illustrations, as simply drawn as the narrative is concise, close with a view of Snail's pink shell, big enough to contain all his new friends. Even the antsiest reader will be beguiled into turning over a new leaf.--John Peters Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Snail is determined to munch on the delicious-looking cabbage growing in the field across the road ("Cabbage bound! I'm cabbage bound!" he sings). Readers can see there's big trouble ahead: snail moves at, well, a snail's pace; cars and trucks are barreling down the forbidding, dark asphalt, and a crow thinks that Snail would make a tasty meal. But looming disaster is averted, and Snail eventually gets the cabbage he seeks, because he's willing to put his mission on hold momentarily to give refuge--and tea--to some rude ants in a rainstorm (the interior of his shell is as cozy and domestically equipped as can be). Working in digitally finished pencil and wash, Geisel Award--winner Tabor (Fox the Tiger) presents a pink protagonist who's an endearing mix of stubborn and openhearted, with eyestalks that are by turns steely and befuddled. The author handles the tricky themes of kindness and forgiveness with the lightest of touches ("Terribly sorry," the ants tell Snail regarding their earlier brusqueness. "Sometimes we get antsy") and a sweet, loopy storytelling logic. Ages 4--8. (Feb.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--Snail is a likable protagonist who spots some cabbages and is determined to get one. Unfortunately, the field of cabbages he has spied is all the way across a busy road. Snails of course, are well known for being terribly slow. Nonetheless, he sets off across the road, never thinking about the adventures that await him. He just misses getting squished by a car and is nearly eaten by a crow. Reader gets a sense of Snail's slow pace by the slime trail he leaves behind. At one point he thinks he's traveled so far, but the slime indicates he has gone almost no distance at all. Rather than pointing out his slowness in the text, the slime trail lets the child figure out the joke. Despite being laser-focused on the cabbages, Snail stops to shelter some ants in his shell during a rain shower. In all the hubbub, he gets turned around and slimes his way back to where he started. The grateful ants return the kindness and bring a cabbage right to Snail. The artwork, done in watercolor and pencils, is just right for a picture book--it tells a good part of the story. Tabor's writing is also notable, especially when read aloud. VERDICT This is a wonderfully wacky story of determination, kindness, and friendship that children will love. It's funny and clever and provides a showcase for snails the world over. A must-buy for most libraries.--Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
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Review by Horn Book Review
Snail sees an enticing field of cabbages across a road and heads for it. He is too small to recognize the automobile that barrels over him for what it isSome things are too big and fast for snails to ponderbut, luckily, the wheels miss him. When rain derails Snail, as well as some determined ants he meets on his journey, Snail invites them into his cozy, snug shell so they wont drown, and serves them tea. After this brief respite Snail resumes his trek (the repeated refrain: Nothing could stand in his way!), but while avoiding a crow, he unknowingly makes a U-turn and ends up back where he started. Never fear: his new ant friends prove to be true blueand they help to deliver Snail his hoped-for snack. Tabor uses scale to emphasize Snails helplessness; viewers may gasp at the oncoming vehicles and Snails vulnerability in the face of danger. Yet cheerful Snail never despairs. A glass-half-full tone pervades the story, and Tabor creates an endearing character in Snail, with his big eyes and determined spirit. A moment of larger vocabularyEvasive maneuvers! Snail declares as he changes direction to avoid a crowwill have children putting context clues to work to learn new words. An appealing story about friendship and how little characters can overcome big obstacles. Julie DanielsonJanuary/February 2020 p.82(c) Copyright 2020. 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
Why did the snail cross the road? Cabbage. How? That's another story. While "scooting around" one day, Snail spots a field of scrumptious cabbage on the other side of a dangerous road. The self-assured gastropod approaches the obstacle with a can-do attitude: "Well, you won't stop me!" After traveling for some timeand generating a glistening trail of slimeSnail decides to take a break. Just then, a vehicle in the distance zooms closer. Snail narrowly avoids it. Further perils and delays arise, but the "cabbage bound" hero slimes his way out of them all. Despite all the stress, Snail keeps it kind: He invites a "troop of rowdy ants" inside his shell (and his vintage-decorated living room) to take shelter from the rain. But between the tea and other distractions, will Snail ever make it to his lunch? Though snail-centric, Tabor's story is far from snail's pace: Deft shifts between double- and single-page spreads and other visual cues heighten the drama of the fraught adventure. The cartoon illustrations digitally combine pencil, watercolor, and ink to create beautiful textures. Careful readers may see a visual mismatch between the more-detailed spreads and those set against a white background (e.g., how big is Snail's shell home anyway?). Still, Tabor (of 2019 Geisel-winning Fox the Tiger fame) shines; his clever reversal of expectations will replace any skepticism with a fit of giggles.A shell of a good time. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
