School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-A family tale that teaches children how love makes a home. When Otto the squirrel finds a small furry creature named Pio, he shelters him while searching for Pio's origins. As the search goes on Otto comes to love his new hazelnut-eating, soup-making, caring child. Eventually Pio becomes too big for Otto's treetop house and Otto becomes upset and leaves, but Pio follows and helps Otto realize that they are a family and that maybe some big problems are not actually that big. Dubuc has created a simple and beautiful story that is perfectly matched with her intricate illustrations. The colors are soft and bright, giving readers a warm fuzzy feeling as they travel through the story. Each illustration reveals small details of Otto and Pio's individual personalities, but also their growing familial relationship. The entire book is clean and simple, not too difficult to follow, and explains an often-complex relationship in the best way possible. This engaging read-aloud will warm children's hearts. It has a terrific message about the importance of family and how to care for those you love. VERDICT An excellent and timeless selection for all picture book shelves. -Margaret -Kennelly, iSchool at Urbana-Champaign, IL © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In this quiet story by Dubuc (Up the Mountain Path), the unidentified creature who appears in front of squirrel Otto's tree trunk dwelling isn't just uninvited, he's inconvenient. Otto feels compelled to look after the furry, pink-snouted Pio (he's named for the sound he most often makes), but Pio grows larger every day, pushing Otto out of his green hammock bed, then out of his house. Otto is ambivalent but ethical about Pio's arrival: "I am not your mommy," he tells the furry creature coolly. "Tomorrow we'll hang up posters. I'm sure your real mother is looking for you." Dubuc's gently colored spreads provide almost documentary-level detail-she draws all the leaves on Otto's tree, the tiny posters Otto plasters all over it, and the vegetables Pio chops up for soup. Slowly, Otto realizes that Pio is generous and helpful. And when Pio rescues him from a frightening predator, he decides that it might be worth making room to accommodate his new friend. Dubuc doesn't insist that readers warm right up to new or strange situations. It takes a long time, sometimes, for creatures to learn to love each other. Ages 5-8. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.