Review by Booklist Review
Toddler Sam, with blunt black bangs and pert pigtails, feels too hemmed in indoors, but her dad knows just what to do: strollercoaster! In Raúl the Third and Bay's joyful artwork, jam-packed with expressive details, boisterous fonts, and bird's-eye-view scenes evoking the best of Richard Scarry, Sam and her dad zip around the neighborhood, climbing hills, rattling along walls, zooming through tunnels, and looping around obstacles. The sense of motion is delicious in these brightly colored spreads, which cheerfully capture the delight Sam feels at finally getting to move around. Raúl's character designs recall classic cartoons, which perfectly match the swerving, swooping, gravity-defying journey Sam experiences from the safety of her stroller, and signs and street art in English and Spanish cultivate lots of atmosphere in the family's vibrant urban neighborhood. The bold, active artwork and Ringler's energetic storytelling make this a great pick for a group read-aloud, but kids interested in the details will find plenty to pore over, from the dismayed emotions displayed on the faces of Sam's toys during her tantrum to the onomatopoeia sprinkled throughout the pages. A slow wind-down to a father-daughter nap on the sofa after the thrill of their afternoon is a sweet note to end on in this exuberant, playful book about an everyday experience.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"Each and every day," strong-willed young Sam, who has glossy black pigtails, finds that "inside feels too small." Only briefly intimidated by the hail of flying toys that she begins flailing about, Sam's parent straps Sam into a stroller ("SNAP! The buckle clicks. WHOOSH! The straps pull tight") and launches the Strollercoaster. In their instantly identifiable comic book style, Raúl the Third and colorist Elaine Bay (the World of ¡Vamos! books) imagine the two careening through a cityscape crammed with sensory delights--colorful buildings, waving neighbors, Spanish-language signage, "Fresh sneakers. Sweet smells. Shouts from the basketball court." Steep hills on the route provide a place for Sam's parent to reach maximum speed (the wind "sounds like the noisiest noise, and Sam feels like she's flying!!"). It all works magic on the girl's terrible mood. Ringler (School Surprise!) is full of insight about the travails of toddlerhood, while Raúl the Third and Bay's visual invention powers a dream of an urban landscape that gives joy to its community. Ages 4--8. Author's agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Productions. Illustrator's agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary. (May)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1--A routine outing transforms into a grand adventure with the help of a little imagination. Around the same time every day, which parents and caregivers will irrefutably recognize, "the inside feels too small for Sam," a young and energetic toddler. After only a brief commotion and minor tantrum, Sam's father has the child secured and ready for a ride on the "strollercoaster." The illustrators deploy their signature vibrant, comics-art style, brimming with details as father and child embark on a sensational sensory-filled jaunt around their city. Throughout their journey that is reminiscent of a roller coaster ride, readers will see signage in Spanish, delightful storefronts, active neighbors of many races, and of course, tunnels and hills to maximize strollercoaster speed. The pair return home just in time for a nap. Readers are sure to plan their own strollercoaster trips after finishing this one. VERDICT A joyful and oh-so relatable tale that will entertain and inspire readers.--Olivia Gorecke, Cape May Cty. Lib., Ocean View, NJ
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Review by Horn Book Review
Preschooler Sam needs a nap. "The inside feels too small" for her, and she throws a tantrum. There's only one solution: her father swings her up into the air and declares, "It's time to take a ride on the strollercoaster!" Off they zip on a thrilling adventure -- up and down the steep roads, bridges, and sidewalks of their neighborhood ("Sam feels like she's flying!!") -- the girl nestled snugly in her stroller. The dynamic, remarkably kinetic illustrations feature occasional comic book-style panels; speech balloons; bouncy, rollercoaster-esque onomatopoeia ("click clack"; "squeak"); some hand-drawn, oversized fonts; and a heaping dose of visual hyperbole. At one point, for instance, father and daughter zoom up the side of a brick wall. The vivid colors -- starting with the fiery oranges and reds of Sam's angry mood -- perfectly convey emotional subtext. Spreads are filled with eye-catching details that reflect the pair's bilingual community: "TIRED?" reads the side of a building, with "ESTOY CANSADA" under it. After flying through a tunnel on a striking black double-page spread colored in glowing lines, Sam succumbs to sleep -- and then both father and daughter end up napping back at home. Preschoolers will identify with Sam's initial over-exhaustion and may find catharsis in her true-to-life display of anger. An exhilarating trip that viewers will want to take repeatedly. Julie Danielson July/August 2021 p.96(c) Copyright 2021. 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
It's that time--the hour of doom wedged between when a toddler first becomes overtired and finally blissfully naps. Frustration crackles through la casa like a downed power line. Tyrannical tantrums terrorize. Parental paroxysms of panic provoke pandemonium. Quick--to the STROLLERCOASTER! Down the streets of their barrio, Papi and daughter Sam whoosh, clack, and dive. Past the sugar-blasting pastelería, up the hill of no return, down the viaduct of trepidation, along the psychedelic wall of paleta rapture, and through the scratchboard black of Morpheus' tunnel. The cranky, exhausted toddler is finally overcome by the whirlwind outing and is soon cuddled on the comfy couch with her slumbering Papacito. Ringler's energetic narrative perfectly mimics the staccato thrills of a roller coaster. From the snap of the buckle to the paternal admonition "Keep your hands and feet inside at all times," the stroller transforms into a ride Batman would envy. Raúl the Third and Bay's tongue-in-cheek bilingual commentary planted in illustration details follows the frantic pair everywhere. From the encouraging "Corre" painted on the building they're whizzing past at the beginning of their adventure to graffiti messages of "Estoy cansada" and "Tired?" as the toddler finally starts winding down, the whole barrio urges the fun-loving father and his thrill-seeking daughter to greater feats of glory. Kids everywhere will be honing their tantrum skills in hopes of riding their very own strollercoasters. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
