Amazon.com Review
Wyatt doesn't ask for much. He just wants to play with the big kids sometimes, help his sister wash the car, adopt a puppy. But no matter what he says to his friends and family, the response is always the same: "Quiet, Wyatt!" Sick and tired of being dismissed, Wyatt rebels. From now on, he is not going to say another word--even when, perhaps especially when, a word or two might have been helpful! In amusing rhyme and repetition, Bill Maynard portrays the very satisfying power shift that every small child dreams about. Frank Remkiewicz--illustrator of the popular
Froggy series--uses
unusual gouache and colored pencil illustrations to create a fantastic backdrop for this plucky boy's expressions, ranging from hopeful to disappointed to stubborn. Young children will recognize the frustrations Wyatt experiences in his effort to be heard, and delight in his ultimate success. (Click to see a
sample spread. Reprinted with permission from G.P. Putnam's Sons, a division of Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers. Text copyright © William H. Maynard, 1999; illustrations copyright © Frank Remkiewicz.) (Ages 4 to 8)
--Emilie Coulter
From Publishers Weekly
Punchy rhymes come at the expense of the story line in this slim tale. Each time Wyatt acts curious or offers to help, he is met with a rhyming jibe: "Quiet, Wyatt!" His family and neighbors tell him that he's "not big enough" and "not old enough" to fly a model plane, dry a car, fry an egg or buy a pet. Frustrated, Wyatt tries to get attention by shouting, then finally submits to the relentless repetitions of the title refrain. Yet Wyatt has valuable information ("The big kids lost their airplane. Wyatt knew where it was. But Wyatt was quiet"). When he finally breaks his silence to point out a puppy hiding under a truck, Wyatt gains his community's approval. The anticipated refrains follow: thereafter, the kids lend him their toy plane ("Fly it, Wyatt"), his sister lets him dry the car ("Dry it, Wyatt"), his dad lets him make breakfast ("Fry it, Wyatt") and the puppy gets a new home ("Let's buy it, Wyatt!"). Textured paper, in muted shades of olive, rose and blue, provides a ground for grainy colored-pencil lines and gently applied gouache. Pastel-soft settings showcase cartoonishly cute characters, who have oversize, stylized heads on skinny bodies. Maynard and Remkiewicz (previously teamed up for Incredible Ned) make a treacly appeal for indulgence on Wyatt's behalf, with the subtext that children should be seen and not heard until absolutely necessary. Ages 4-8. (June)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
