Clovis keeps his cool

PreS-Gr 3--Clovis, a bull and former linebacker, takes over his granny's shop, which is full of china. He has something of a temper, Clovis does, and anyone familiar with the problems of a bull in a china shop will probably tune right in to the action here. When rivals of his former team show up to heckle him and his new line of work, Clovis takes a breath and counts to 10. The next time they show up, he takes up the lotus position. Another time it's soothing tea that keeps him calm. But when they smash one of Granny's tea cups, Clovis can no longer keep his cool. The china carnage is serious, and when Clovis chases the hecklers into a corner, they are genuinely afraid. Memories of his granny return him to a state in which he can invite the assorted animals of this mocking cadre to tea, and in time, they clean up together. Clovis, a realistic, muscular bull, makes for a hilarious contrast against the dainty china of his tea shop, yet his gentle ways as he struggles to maintain his focus are fluid and believable. The value of a good cup of tea cannot be overstated in this book, but of similar value is the persistence of his rivals in reminding Clovis of his sporty side. VERDICT The real deal, Clovis is a bull who shows that far older hero, Ferdinand, what provocation and pacifism look like, in a charmingly teachable story of stress.--Kimberly Olson Fakih, School Library Journal

Working in a china shop tests a bull's anger-management skills. A burly bull and former linebacker, Clovis has a "temper as big as he was," but since he started running his grandmother Grace's china shop, he feels calmer. Repeating Granny's mantra--"Grace, grace. Nothing broken to replace"--Clovis carefully unpacks and stacks fine porcelain. One day some former football rivals appear outside the shop, mocking Clovis by calling him a "wimp" and a "bull in a china shop." His anger rising, Clovis feels the urge to charge, but deep-breathing techniques help him ignore the hecklers. On dusting day, Clovis happily polishes glassware when the hecklers return, insulting his cleaning efforts. Stroking the cat, Clovis again keeps his cool. They come back once more as Clovis arranges a tea display in the window. When the hecklers insult Granny Grace and break her favorite teacup, Clovis is "all out of grace." Leaving smashed china in his wake, a raging Clovis chases the cowering hecklers into an alley, where he composes himself to channel Grace, then offers them tea, with surprising results. Painterly illustrations cleverly juxtapose Clovis, with his menacing horns and barrel-chested, bulging-biceps, linebacker physique, with the rather fussy china shop. Humorous scenes of Clovis meditating in lotus pose, lighting candles, pouring tea into delicate cups, and arranging flowers contrast with powerful close-ups of his brief descent into raging-bull mode, enhanced by exaggerated facial expressions and dramatic lighting. A heartwarming, funny lesson in keeping one's cool. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.