School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-The endearing preschooler from The Hello, Goodbye Window (Hyperion, 2005) is back in all of her precociousness as her grandparents try to navigate the world of her moods. Their granddaughter seems to actually be two little girls in one. Sourpuss is bratty and contrary while Sweetie Pie is cooperative, sweet, and cuddly. But her grandparents never know which one they'll be seeing next. She can go down for a nap as Sweetie Pie and wake up as her alter ego. Raschka's abstract, vibrant artwork sets up the differences between these two personalities. Sourpuss is all angles and rigid lines, and the use of a far-off perspective distances readers from this contentious child. Conversely, Sweetie Pie is all curves and softness and immensely huggable. What is particularly satisfying is that despite knowing she can be good or bad, the protagonist is sure in her knowledge that her grandparents love her. Her story will resonate with young children who see themselves in the character. The last page is priceless: Nanna and Poppy sitting across from each other in comfy chairs, holding hands, exhausted. Somehow it is clear that they will be there for whoever wakes up in the morning.-Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
This welcome sequel to the Caldecott Medal title The Hello, Goodbye Window knowingly describes a child's conflicting personalities. "Sometimes I'm Sourpuss," a multiracial girl admits. "And sometimes I'm Sweetie Pie." Her grandparents, Poppy and Nanna, accept her dueling dispositions, but when she visits they like to know whom to expect. "Poppy, it's me, Sweetie Pie," she promises, keeping her alter ego at bay. She does acknowledge her mercurial moods ("Sometimes you can go from Sourpuss to Sweetie Pie so quick," she admits, in a six-stage Hyde to Jekyll transformation), and her grandparents gently tease her ("Pleasant dreams, girls," they joke at bedtime). Both the sunny moments and the tantrums will ring true for readers of any age. Raschka (see Peter and the Wolf, below) devises competing motifs of light daubs and glowering smears, pairing Sweetie Pie's upbeat sky blue, gold, cantaloupe and pink with Sourpuss's grumpy scarlet, mucky green and purple-blue. Sweetie Pie's balletic, floaty postures contrast with Sourpuss's dramatic scowls and defiant stances; the two personas appear virtually side by side for maximum effect. A keeper. All ages. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
