Amazon.com Review
If you know Flora McDonnell's award-winning work through
Flora McDonnell's ABC,
I Love Boats, or
I Love Animals, then you're already familiar with her bright, uncluttered, kid-friendly illustrations.
Splash begins with two Indian elephants on a sun-soaked yellow background. "Hot, hot, hot! The elephants are hot!" the first page pronounces in large type. And indeed, the overheated elephants look down in the mouth, as do the panting tiger and the pained rhinoceros on the following pages. Relief comes when the baby leads its mother--and presumably the other animals--down to the water. The cool blue rushes to fill the pages, as the elephants squirt and splash, and the rhinoceros goes "Splosh." Refreshed and happy at last, the animals have the baby elephant to thank for the excellent idea--"What a happy, cool, clever little baby elephant!" This simple, winning picture book captures the pure exaltation of a run through the sprinkler on a hot, hot day. (Baby to preschool)
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
Just in time for the dog days of summer, McDonnell (I Love Boats) makes waves with this captivating oversize picture book. The story line is simplicity itself: hot and grumpy, Tiger, Rhinoceros and Mother Elephant follow a baby elephant down to the water hole, where they find relief from the heat. Pairing her bare-bones text ("Hot, hot, hot! The elephants are hot") with big, bold, vibrant illustrations, McDonnell places her audience squarely in the midst of the fun. Underpinned by a thorough grasp of color harmony, McDonnell's artwork has an appealing, larger-than-life quality. Her color combinations tempt the eye and set the tone for each scene, from the orange and black stripes of a tiger's fur against a sultry yellow backdrop for "hot," to the soothing blues and greens of the waterhole oasis for "cool." The splash-fest especially is sure to delight preschoolers: "Whoosh! Sploosh! goes Tiger," reads one spread, while the next shows all four creatures romping, a "Splash!" printed next to each. With its easy, assured presentation belying a careful craftsmanship, this vigorous romp showcases McDonnell's keen sensitivity to the visual and verbal needs of the very young. Ages 3-6. (June)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
