Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this freewheeling adventure, Mango and Nan, portrayed with pale skin, plan to head out for vanilla ice cream--until they hear a "plop" that Nan identifies as a leaky tap. "We can't let water go to waste," she tells Mango. When the labyrinth of pipes, depicted in a comical cutaway, proves too complex for their DIY skills, Mango comes up with a new plan: take the plops with them via a hose, spreading water where needed en route to ice cream. As slyly observed digital artwork by Tahboub shows, it seems a fine idea--until the water pressure increases dramatically. While the ending doesn't draw the clearest line between conserving water and enjoying a favorite treat, readers will come away knowing that amazing adventures can flow from best-laid plans. Background characters are shown with various skin tones. Ages 4--8. (Aug.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--A young boy named Mango and his grandmother have a tasty plan for the day: they're going to get ice cream. As they're leaving the house, they discover a leaky faucet that demands immediate attention. Not to miss out on an ice cream treat, Mango suggests that they connect a hose to the leaky faucet and take it with them. A seemingly endless garden hose travels across the town watering plants, topping off swimming pools, washing cars, and even cooling off hot sunbathers. As the hose gets more and more out of control, Mango and Nan eventually lose the fight and the spray goes everywhere and comes down like rain upon the town. "Mango reminded Nan that rainplops were actually good for the planet--and suggested that they celebrate having made rainplops for all the town's trees." They decide to celebrate by getting ice cream. With a similar art style to Felicia Bond, full-page illustrations are completed digitally in pencil, colored pencil, and watercolor. Even the youngest readers will giggle and delight in this runaway hose adventure with Nan and Mango. Repeated readings are certain to be requested. Main characters are white, as are the majority of the townspeople. VERDICT A fun addition to library shelves where surprising adventures are sought.--Tracy Cronce
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Review by Horn Book Review
The plan: for Mango and Nan to go get ice cream (vanilla in a cake cone, of course). The interruption: a leaky tap that Nan apologetically decides they must stay home to fix: "We can't let water go to waste. It's not good for the planet." Mango, who loves the planet but also loves ice cream, finds a perfect, albeit highly absurd, solution: attaching Nan's extensive garden hose to the faucet and "taking all the water plops with us to get ice cream." The two cheerfully pull the lengthy hose through town, watering the neighbors' flowerpots, cooling off sunbathers at the local pool, and even putting out small grill fires with the increasingly powerful spray -- until it becomes so strong that neither of them can hold on. Luckily, after the hose shoots skyward, the plops rain back down to water all the town's trees, leaving Mango and Nan to celebrate their resourcefulness...at an ice cream stand (vanilla in a cake cone, of course). From their introduction via handwriting -- Mango's shaky scrawl versus Nan's neat cursive -- Tahboub's duo are endearingly quirky, as is Nan's simple red-brick home with goldfish floating in its pipes, a stark contrast to the more modern cubic houses nearby. They're also close-knit: Nan frequently rests a supportive hand on Mango's shoulder or holds his hand, and Mango wishes he had learned more about plumbing in school in order to help. At the center of the tale's entertaining twists and turns is Tahboub's affection for the everyday plans, errands, and adventures shared between loved ones -- resulting in a tale sweet as ice cream (in any flavor). Emma ShacochisSeptember/October 2025 p.53 (c) Copyright 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
When plumbing problems thwart the plans of a young boy and his grandmother, they seek a creative solution. Mango and Nan are about to head into town for vanilla ice cream cones when they hear the plopping sound of a leaky faucet. Nan tells Mango that they'll have to stay home and fix the drip: "We can't let water go to waste. It's not good for the planet." What follows is a convoluted storyline in which Mango suggests fastening a fantastically long hose to the faucet so that it will retain all the drips ("Not a plop will go to waste," declares Nan); the two of them hold the nozzle and let the hose snake behind them as they walk into town, sharing their water with those they encounter. They water their neighbors' hedges, top off the swimming pool, and cool down hot sunbathers--all of which betrays the story's internal logic by compromising Nan's water-conservation ethos. Water pressure builds, and the pair soon lose control of the hose. They lament the wasted water, but when the skies open up, they "celebrate having made rainplops for all the town's trees"--a confusing moment, given that Mango and Nan aren't responsible for the downpour. Humorous illustrations outshine the text, with playful details and a great sense of movement. Mango and Nan are light-skinned; their community is diverse. Fun to look at but hard to follow.(Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
