The creature of Habit

A creature from the island of Habit learns to break out of routine in this encouraging play-on-words story from YA author Smith (Field Notes on Love). As Habit's sole resident, a large round white creature "with very big teeth. And very big eyes. And very, very big feet" is accustomed to a consistent daily schedule: a meal of three pineapples and two bananas; a friendly tour of the island to hunt seashells and greet the fish, trees, rocks, and a crab; another meal; and a cozy bedtime involving a toothbrush custom-made for his two buck teeth. When a blue "very small creature" unexpectedly arrives, the "very big creature" is initially shocked that the traveler doesn't want to stick to the program--evidently preferring to eat coconuts and oranges, build sandcastles, and vary his sleep schedule. Before long, though, the free-spirited visitor's unusual activities and unpredictable schedule tempt the change-averse creature, opening his eyes to pleasures he'd overlooked and inviting him to occasionally do things differently--a final moment under the stars suggests that different can even be wondrous. Employing tropical hues, digital illustrations by Espinosa (No More Naps!) have a hip screen-printed quality that playfully freshens up Smith's familiar message about staying open to change. Ages 3--7. (Oct.)

Can a creature of habit change his ways? The eponymous creature, who lives a solitary life on the island of Habit, is a big, unspecified, anthropomorphic being. With his pink nose, buck teeth, and two feathery ears, he looks more like a white rabbit than an old dog, but he is decidedly averse to learning new tricks. Opening pages establish how he happily sticks to a very strict daily regimen of foods (three pineapples and two bananas, twice a day) and activities (greeting fish, trees, rocks, and a crab, and collecting shells). Then a new, small creature arrives by boat and shakes things up a bit. At first, the small creature, who looks like a blue fuzzball with pipestem limbs and green spectacles, tries out the creature of Habit's routine, but by the second day, he is eating new foods, exploring new places, and spontaneously pursuing his heart's content. The big creature is overwhelmed by the small one's antics, and a climactic spread shows him in a close-up, waving his short arms in the air with text that exclaims, "IT WAS ABSOLUTE MADNESS!" After this comical outburst, the big creature starts to follow the small one around and is both charmed and persuaded to try a few new things himself. The rewards for this flexibility are manifold, with companionship being the most important. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Sure to support little ones' reading habits. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.