July 15, 2018
Wyatt, with his tranquil predisposition, is unfortunately paired up with bold, noisy Noreen on a class trip to a nature park.Strong, black pencil outlines create humorous caricatures, filled in with watercolor and gouache. Noreen's big, bushy red ponytail plays off well against Wyatt's mousy brown hair. She starts off boasting. "Fishing is my specialty" and "I was born for boating," she brags. The illustrations show quite a different story. She tangles her line around Wyatt and causes him to fall out of the canoe. In an amusing double-page spread, she studies a butterfly and says, "I'm so good at noticing the details, it's scary. "Meanwhile, she misses the large, bewildered beasts behind her. The two share other adventures, all dictated by Noreen: dangerous tree-climbing, hiking into poison ivy, zip lining. Finally, Noreen breaks into song just as she is walking down a hill that bears a sign warning of avalanche. Wyatt's ninja-camp training, shown early in the book, kicks into high gear. He yells first and then, with a series of heroic moves, pulls Noreen out of the way of the descending rocks. Yes, it could be viewed as a typical boy-rescues-girl story, but in the end, Noreen and Wyatt end up enjoying nature quietly and doing martial arts together. These two opposite personalities are both white, although there is some diversity in the class.A humorous friendship story with a little bit of an ironic twist. (Picture book. 5-7)
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September 1, 2018
PreS-Gr 2-Wyatt loves quiet. His ability to be silent can be quite beneficial. He never made a noise as a tree in the school play. When it comes to being a museum visitor, Wyatt is absolutely perfect. At ninja camp, he was named the "most stealthy." Wyatt may be quiet. but his classmate Noreen is extremely loud. In fact, she is the exact opposite of Wyatt. She is boisterous, outgoing, and fearless. Things become interesting when the two are paired as partners on the class field trip. Wyatt is used to being by himself. Could this partnership change him? Wyatt doesn't say much as Noreen leads him on a trail through poison ivy or as they zipline high above the forest. He says nothing when she tells him the way to paddle a canoe is to stand up on it. Naturally, they lose their balance and splash in to the water. He doesn't yell or scream. He just drips, quietly, of course. Finally, Wyatt realizes he cannot stay quiet when Noreen's volume causes a dangerous situation. Sauer and Howard have created a really fun book with large and entertaining watercolor illustrations. Many older children can use the pictures to predict the impending outcome of some sticky situations. This is a good choice to help children learn that they can still stay true to themselves and accept differences in others. VERDICT A fantastic addition to library collections, either as a read-aloud or a one-on-one selection.-Barbara Spiri, Southborough Library, MA
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