From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2-This prolific author and illustrator has once again produced a small treasure. A young armadillo digs his burrow in an orange grove, pleased that its entrance will be clearly marked by a big, bright fruit that has fallen to the ground. He goes out on grub-hunting forays every day, either ignoring his various animal neighbors, or shuffling impatiently when they impede his progress. When a gust of wind moves his orange, he wanders lost and alone until he realizes that it is the neighbors he has been ignoring who can lead him home again. The story is told in simple, clear prose that belies the larger message about what constitutes a constant in a world of continual flux. The sun-washed watercolor illustrations, done largely in greens, yellows, and oranges, depict a surprisingly endearing armadillo and sensitively capture his world. This comforting, emotionally satisfying book could be shared aloud or read independently by emergent readers.
Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
PreS-Gr. 2. A testimonial to the value of neighbors emerges in this charming story of a young armadillo that uses an orange next to his burrow as a landmark. Armadillo goes about his business without paying much attention to his animal neighbors until the wind pushes his orange away, and he discovers that the honeybees, the old tortoise, the scrub jay, and the snakes that live near him help mark his place as home. There's a lot of emotion in a deceptively simple text; children will feel for Armadillo, who finds everything "strange and wrong with the big, round orange gone." Arnosky uses appropriately sunny shades of yellow, bright orange, and grass-green watercolor to portray Armadillo's environment. The final image of Armadillo, curled snugly in his burrow, exemplifies the reassurance his story provides.
Diane FooteCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
