Somewhere in the Bayou

January 17, 2022
Told in comics-style panels alive with sound words and woodblock-style artwork that befits the story’s folktale feel, this tale by the Pumphrey brothers (The Old Boat) opens as a rabbit, an opossum, a squirrel, and a mouse look for a place to cross a bayou. Pale, milky colors evoke the trees’ cool shadows as the four animals pull up short at the sight of a fat, green tail next to a log in the water. The opossum is first to brave the threat. “There’s only one way past a sneaky tail,” it declares, and tiptoes across the log, which wobbles before a “SMACK” and “SPLASH” see
the animal sinking into the drink. The rabbit and the squirrel have their own respective strategies for the “scary” and “mean” tail, resulting in two more splashes. Only the mouse’s curiosity and humility create a different outcome, drawing the owner of the tail to the surface. Underneath the humor, echoes of wisdom can be heard in this sinewy, laugh-out-loud picture book about the way arrogance can lead to disaster. Ages 6–8. Agent: Hannah Mann, Writers House.

February 1, 2022
Preschool-Grade 2 Mouse, Squirrel, Opossum, and Rabbit speculate about whose scary tail is sticking up out of the swamp. Can they cross over on the log? It looks sneaky! It's green! It has scales! Yikes! Opossum tiptoes, wobbles, and smack! disappears into the water with a splash. Squirrel, claiming that he isn't scared, follows--and goes under, with another wobble, smack, and splash. Rabbit pokes the menacing tail with a stick, but he repeats the other animals' unsuccessful ambulatory technique. Mouse, the littlest remaining animal, nibbles around the giant tail and, lo and behold, an alligator emerges, thanking him profusely, as he has been stuck under the log. This darkly funny cumulative tale of a tail has a surprisingly gruesome ending for every creature but Mouse, who becomes friends with the alligator (and Alligator doesn't eat Friends). Be warned: the other three, not friends, were indeed swallowed up quickly (offstage). Earth-toned illustrations in browns, greens, and grays depict attractive block-printed characters and wetland scenery. Use in storytimes to challenge children who make assumptions about what they see.

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Starred review from April 1, 2022

K-Gr 2-In a bold graphic style that uses big, flat shapes and a limited palette of gray, tan, brown, brick, and sage, four swamp creatures are beset with curiosity, and maybe even fear. A squirrel, mouse, rabbit, and weasel (or opossum, from the book jacket), in tersely worded speech bubbles that would not be out of place in Waiting for Godot, question the sight before them: "What should we do?/ We could just-/ Find another way?/ No. There's only one way past a sneaky tail." One by one, they are picked off by the tail, and in this soon-to-be-story-hour-hit, listeners will be on the edge of their seats. The survivor, the mouse, figures out why the tail is there, and helps a docile alligator get unstuck. The punch line is an uproarious gift from the Pumphreys, who could not lace more eccentric charm into this if they had 1000 more pages. It's just right. VERDICT To paraphrase another epic piece about hungry snapping jaws, you're going to need a bigger story hour.-Kimberly Olson Fakih

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2022
The Pumphrey brothers employ understated storytelling, wry humor, and skillful cartooning throughout this entertaining original fable. The premise is simple. Four bayou critters (an opossum, a squirrel, a rabbit, and a mouse) are attempting to cross a river when they happen upon a mysterious green tail. The opossum, squirrel, and rabbit each makes a different, uninformed assumption about the tail (respectively declaring it "sneaky," "scary," and "mean"), but all three share the same fate: a scaly "SMACK" into the river. Only the mouse seeks out more information, discovering that the tail is tied to a log. Evoking heroic mice from folklore, the mouse frees the stranger (unsurprisingly revealed to be an alligator) with a few nibbles. An amusing tension builds when the alligator offers the mouse a ride across the river, leading to the conclusion: "I think we've become friends. And friends don't eat friends. Besides...I ate some strangers earlier." Pitch-perfect pacing develops a repetitive rhythm reminiscent of oral storytelling, while, in the illustrations, subtle variations in body language, eye position, and panel size/shape provide meaningful subtext. The earthy palette and block-print imagery are graphically grounded, while conveying plenty of textural nuance and depth through subtle layering. Both a cautionary tale and a thrilling romp, this surefire read-aloud will be embraced especially by fans of Klassen's celebrated hat trilogy. Patrick Gall

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2022
The Pumphrey brothers employ understated storytelling, wry humor, and skillful cartooning throughout this entertaining original fable. The premise is simple. Four bayou critters (an opossum, a squirrel, a rabbit, and a mouse) are attempting to cross a river when they happen upon a mysterious green tail. The opossum, squirrel, and rabbit each makes a different, uninformed assumption about the tail (respectively declaring it "sneaky," "scary," and "mean"), but all three share the same fate: a scaly "SMACK" into the river. Only the mouse seeks out more information, discovering that the tail is tied to a log. Evoking heroic mice from folklore, the mouse frees the stranger (unsurprisingly revealed to be an alligator) with a few nibbles. An amusing tension builds when the alligator offers the mouse a ride across the river, leading to the conclusion: "I think we've become friends. And friends don't eat friends. Besides...I ate some strangers earlier." Pitch-perfect pacing develops a repetitive rhythm reminiscent of oral storytelling, while, in the illustrations, subtle variations in body language, eye position, and panel size/shape provide meaningful subtext. The earthy palette and block-print imagery are graphically grounded, while conveying plenty of textural nuance and depth through subtle layering. Both a cautionary tale and a thrilling romp, this surefire read-aloud will be embraced especially by fans of Klassen's celebrated hat trilogy.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)