School Library Journal Review
PreS-Little Jumbo's Dad is having a bad day. The cereal on the floor, the raisins stuck to the ceiling, and the game of hide-and-seek at bath time are not helping. Little Jumbo spends his time-out thinking of a way to cheer him up. A hug, a game of catch, and some ice cream start to do the trick. The simple, direct sentences provide the facts, but Koehler's digitally rendered pencil and pen drawings tell the real story of Little Jumbo's mischief. The understatement that "At breakfast, Dad put raisins in Little Jumbo's oatmeal./He should have known what a mess that would make" is complemented by pictures of Little Jumbo blowing raisins at the ceiling through his trunk, while "Dad forgot that Little Jumbo did not like wearing his brown overalls" is further clarified by the young elephant running down the street stark naked as Dad chases him with his clothes. Thick, black curving outlines give the elephants life against the angular, straight edges used for the household setting. Color is used sparingly and effectively, drawing attention to Little Jumbo's antics. Don't save this homage to Dads and their little mischief-makers just for Father's Day-it can be shared any time of year.-Kristine M. Casper, Huntington Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
A spirited elephant is on a mission to improve his father's mood-after having sorely tested his patience-in Koehler's jaunty and smartly constructed debut. Dad's day starts off badly when he puts raisins in Little Jumbo's oatmeal. "He should have known what a mess that would make," reads Koehler's sly text, as Little Jumbo pea-shoots raisins to the ceiling with his trunk. Things quickly devolve as Little Jumbo's antics earn him a timeout, but he sets things to rights with supposedly Dad-centric activities ("Since Dad loved dessert, Little Jumbo agreed to share an ice-cream cone"). Koehler's words adopt the tone of a confident preschooler, while his sweetly scraggly illustrations depict the reality of each scenario with a wink; in an especially nifty moment, the yawning elephant on the cover of "Dad's favorite story," The Sleepy Little Elephant, masks Little Jumbo's own face as they read together. Ample white space, a focused palette, and some quietly show-stopping moments (including a sunset spent fishing on a pier) keep focus on the highly relatable interactions between this father and son pair. Ages 3-5. Agent: Adams Literary. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
