Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
“Tommy was afraid of everything,” begins Baumgart (Laura’s Star). That seems something of an understatement for a child who wears a big winter scarf to the beach because he fears catching cold (“The sun might go under”). Tommy’s mother tells him he has too much imagination, and, to help him conquer his fretfulness, gives him a puppy named Roly and instructs him to make the pet feel at home. Looking out for a creature even more vulnerable than himself, Tommy sheds one fear after another, so that near the close of the book, the boy is even willing to let his giant Aunt Martha?”almost the scariest thing of all!”?give him “a big slobbery kiss.” On the last page, readers are treated to their first full view of Roly?who turns out to be a toy dog on wheels (proving, incidentally, that “too much imagination wasn’t such a bad thing after all”). Softly toned, cartoony watercolors show the artist’s keen sense for how children can feel overwhelmed by the domestic landscape. Depicting Tommy’s reactions to his fears, and not the products of his worried imagination (no octopuses are seen hiding in the toilet, for example), Baumgart enables kids to relax and laugh at what are certain to be many of their own anxieties. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 1AA rite-of-passage tale full of warmth and wit. Tommy’s excessive fears make his life difficult. To help him overcome them, his mother gives him a special birthday puppy. The boy promptly names the perky pooch Roly and, as his mother suggests, teaches him “not to be afraid.” Tommy and Roly discover that they can be brave just as readers discover that Roly isn’t real but rather a toy on wheels. Though a boy and his dog are common characters, these two are uncommonly delightful. Baumgart’s story and illustrations are in perfect harmony, and tender touches permeate both. The cartoon watercolor illustrations are colorful yet soft. The text is humorous without a hint of ridicule. From fears about spiders to toilets to Aunt Martha’s “big slobbery kisses,” there’s something to stir the empathy of every young listener.AJody McCoy, Lakehill Preparatory School, Dallas, TX
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
“Tommy was scared of everything,” Baumgart begins, in this exhausting saga of a fearful child. Tommy doesn’t like the rain (he’ll have to wear his boots, and they might harbor something creepy and crawly), he’s scared of the beach (he wears a scarf to ward off a chill should the sun go under), and he’s scared of the usual: spiders, night, baths. For his birthday, his mother gives him a little dog, Roly, telling Tommy that he will have to teach Roly not to be afraid. Tommy does just that, shedding his fears like so many molted feathers, explaining to Roly about the wind in the trees at night, and the pleasures of cavorting in the bath. When readers are finally let in on the joke–Roly is a toy dog–Tommy has come to believe that “too much imagination wasn’t such a bad thing after all. It helped make Roly seem like a real dog.” Tommy’s fears receive protracted treatment and his reversal is collapsed into a few sunny pages; despite the charming illustrations of every expressive moment, it’s unlikely that children with Tommy’s problem will find much solace in this tale. (Picture book. 3-7) — Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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