Customer Reviews

The Wicked Big Toddlah

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have to admit that I think I love this book more than my 2 year old does. As a native New Englander, I love all of the humorous details in the illustrations that I know my own "toddlah" does not quite get yet. I would highly recommend this book as a fun read for the whole family.

Wow! I read these reviews because I am planning on buying it after renting it at the library for my 1.5 & 2.5 year-old children, who, by the way, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book! I think they got a lot more out of the silly humor, and (to adress a previous reviewer) believe it or not, never asked me why it didn't actually show the maple syrup being produced. If they wanted that, I would read them a book about maple syrup production (to put them to sleep). Oh, and they didn't notice that the hat wasn't knitted, either. We read lots of books, like "Hippos Go Berserk", and I didn't feel the need to explain to them that hippos don't actually talk, or dial phones, or throw parties. I am so glad you are not my children's teacher! The whole family enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it!

I've admired Kevin Hawkes' illustrations for years, and now he's brought his wit and intelligene the the writing as well. Wicked Big Toddlah holds pages of funny observations and opportunities to search for more jokes in the drawings. A wicked Good Read.

I love this book! My son, who is 16 months, regularly asks for "toddler" and gives pictures of the giant baby kisses! The illustrations are cute, and with a family history in Maine it speaks to my roots. It's a quick read, well illustrated, and captures my baby's attention. Five stars!

Kevin Hawkes' "The Wicked Big Toddlah" would make a great shower gift for expectant parents. It's clear from the moment of his arrival by over-burdened stork that gigantic Toddie is no ordinary baby. In fact, he must be hauled home on the back of a flatbed "lumbah" truck. Toddie requires a helicopter, a hazmat team, and a crane at diaper-changing time, and a fleet of lobstah boats to entertain him in the bath. His first taste of ice cream includes the ice cream truck, and he falls asleep clutching a real bear. Set in Hawkes' home state of Maine, where wicked is a superlative and the written "er" is pronounced "ah," the story is also a universal cautionary tale: All new babies, even those of regular size, have an outsize impact on their families.

Not sure what a "corker" is, but my grandfather used to compliment my grandmother that way, so I'll say the same for this book. Most of my family still lives in Maine and this book is a sweet way to help connect my wicked big toddlah to that part of his world. It was a great find - terrifically detailed and expressive illustrations that reveal something new almost every time we read it. My two-year-old loves it when Toddie goes camping, as it reminds him of his grandparents' lake home. The text is cheeky - my son loves to echo, "Hihowahya!" and I like all of Uncle Bert's exclaimations (and bagpipe 'lullaby'). For anyone with a connection to Maine and a toddlah of their own, they'll love this. We can't wait for Toddie's next adventure.

Should be required reading for children whose parents are from New England, especially ones who don't live there anymore and can't hear that great Downeast accent. Bonus points for you 'nards out there!

A very unique book by a longtime children's book illustrator.


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Edited to add:
I also reviewed How to Talk Yankee by Gerald E. Lewis
How to Talk Yankee
http://www.amazon.com/review/R3JNHU2FUI6GP1/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

It might be a handy companion to The Wicked Big Toddlah!

Overall this book will please readers young and old; it's great at providing entertainment and a good chuckle for all ages. I would guess this book is aimed at children aged 4-8 but I read it with my 3 year old and he seemed to like the big baby described in the pages of this book with the interesting pictures that brought this story to life. This baby gets lots of attention and love just like our kiddos do too. This is a really fun one.

Kevin Hawkes' THE WICKED BIG TODDLAH tells of Toddie, who is like any other baby - except he's way too big. Toddie eats trees, takes baths in the ocean, and is very smelly... his first year of life challenges his small Maine town in this hilarious tale.

THis is essentially a one-joke book, albeit with beautifuly big illustrations, and some imaginative illustrations. (I suppose there's one other running gag--a Maine accent, which may or may not amuse: "That's a wicked big toddlah ya got theyah, Jessie!") Ultimately though, the repetition and lack of plot can't support the enormity of its subject, and it leaves one a bit disappointed. The pictures are magnificent and creative, but the story seems somewhat flat.

WHen a struggling stork drops a new baby over a village in Maine, the parents and neighbors are in for a big shock: A babus gigantus (see cover picture on the Amazon.com product page). I love the two-page spreads with the huge baby, superb color and shading, and sharp-eyed details. THey illustrate that the challenges of parenting can be somewhat, well, bigger, when your baby dwarfs Paul Bunyan. Toddie (his nickname) comes h ome in a truck, sleeps in a "special cradle" rocked with an attached rope,and presents a big job at diaper changing time. I suppose the scatological joke was inevitable, but Hawkes embellishes this nicely with a forklift to take off the diaper, a helicopter dumping baby powder, and 5 people in "clean suits" (two of whom hoist a fire hose!) working on the task.

Similar scenes follow: The cover illustration show Toddie taking a bath in the local lake, and there are jokes about his appetite and physical feats. Unfortunately, all of these are basically unconnected, so we have a series of "visual one-liners" without much story development. Moreover, for all his magnificence, Toddie does not seem particularly lovable. He's somewhat of a mixed bag to his relatives, and there's a certain lack of warmth for the reader. Still, those beautifully colored, giant-like pictures are very eye-catching (just great for group-reading time!) and there's enough laughs to please your toddler to kinder audience.