Hank's Big Day

Starred review from July 11, 2016
One suspects that every day looms large for Hank: he’s a pill bug, tiny even for the insect world. Groenink (Rufus the Writer) contributes sunny digital drawings textured like screenprint art and dotted with explanatory captions (a near miss with a skateboarder is “too close for comfort!”), playing with scale and framing as the self-sufficient hero goes through his morning; Hank’s “exercise stick,” which initially seems as tall as a climbing wall in close-up, is revealed to be a twig. Most of the story focuses on Hank’s playdate with his best friend: a human girl named Amelia, who wears an aviator cap and scarf in tribute to her famous namesake. Kuhlman (Great Ball of Light) doesn’t provide any backstory for this unusual friendship, and there’s something lovely and inviting about this matter-of-factness as the two enjoy an afternoon of aeronautically themed pretend play. Big, it seems, doesn’t need to refer to revelations, drama, or physical size; it can speak instead to the significance of having a friend who is deeply simpatico. Ages 3–7. Illustrator’s agent: Stephen Barr, Writers House.

Starred review from June 1, 2016
Pill bug Hank's day moves from ordinary to extraordinary when Amelia, a dark-skinned girl with huge eyes and black braids, gives him a ride on her pilot's helmet.Amelia's appearance on the cover, gazing down at the diminutive, sweet-faced Hank, is a welcome addition to shelves groaning with light-skinned cover models. Amelia plays her stellar role after Hank begins his day. In large print against white paper, Hank's daily ritual of crawling out from under a rock is related: as he "shimmies through tall grass" and "nibbles on a dead leaf." Readers see and read about Hank's world--including other insects--through his slow, ground-level progression, appropriately depicted in earth tones. Humorous labels ("weird worm") are hand-lettered. One funny sequence shows Hank's laborious climb up a tiny twig--his "exercise stick." The climax arrives as Amelia carefully lifts Hank onto her helmet, then rushes around her yard, arms widespread, pretending to be Amelia Earhart. The narrative continues in large print, while speech bubbles are used for Amelia's narration of their flight around the world: "In Paris, the plane just misses the Eiffel Tower." After Amelia has set Hank back where she found him--a helpful hint to budding naturalists--Hank retraces his steps back to his home. The energy of art and text move seamlessly down to nighttime--and a young reader's nap or bedtime. Excellent layout, text, and illustrations make for a thoroughly satisfying story. (Picture book. 3-8)

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September 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-It's a simple life for Hank the pill bug: he awakens from under his home beneath a rock, shimmies through the tall grass, nibbles on leaves, plays dead to avoid a scary grasshopper, and meets new and old friends among the mushrooms and sticks. Hank's life gets much more exciting, however, when he meets a new friend, Amelia, who makes Hank her copilot as she soars over the Atlantic Ocean in her airplane! Hank climbs aboard her helmet as they zip through the yard, letting Hank see his world in a whole new way. Running, zooming, and flying through the grass, they wave to the queen of England and barely miss the Eiffel Tower! All that action makes them hungry, so they stop at a cafe, Le Velvet Bug, to enjoy a snack before voyaging back to America. Amelia and Hank make a daring landing back home, where they reflect on their special and imaginative adventure as new friends. Back across the sidewalk, past the grasshopper, and down the stick, Hank arrives home, where he nestles again at last. This thrilling selection is an ideal choice for storytime. Whimsical mixed-media illustrations enhance the playful appeal of the tale. This debut picture book features a strong female character of color. VERDICT A lively suburban romp that captures the essence of friendship and play, with text and thoughtful details that are interspersed evenly enough to hold the attention of younger readers.-Natalie Braham, Denver Public Library

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 1, 2016
Grades K-2 *Starred Review* Hank, a pill bug, lives under a big rock. In the morning, he crawls out to the lawn, where he nibbles leaves and observes a worm and insects nearby. For exercise, he climbs a long stick to the top of his rocka triumph from his perspective. Throughout the first half of the book, Hank looms large in his world. Then he crosses the perilous sidewalk. After dodging a skateboard, he meets up with his best friend, a little girl named Amelia, who runs around the yard pretending to be a pilot like her hero, Amelia Earhart. Tiny in comparison, Hank rides along on her helmet. They share a snack before he makes the long trek home and falls asleep. The simply written text tells what happens concisely, while arrows connect additional bits of commentary ( What friendship looks like or Yum! ) to elements in the illustrations. Often drawn in motion, Amelia is portrayed with reddish-brown skin tones that show every action and gesture clearly against the white and pale backgrounds. A striking aspect of the dynamic digital artwork is the shifting sense of scale, which demonstrates clearly that size is a relative concept. An eye-catching picture book with an intrepid little hero.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2017
Readers shadow Hank the pill bug for a day as he journeys past other small ground-dwellers, up his "exercise stick," and across a big sidewalk to meet his best friend (a human child). Cleverly designed, the book tells the story through droll narration paired with editorializing picture labels. Digital illustrations capture Hank's personality and charmingly convey his bug's-eye vantage point through details, size, and changes in perspective.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

September 1, 2016
Starting in the morning, at his home under a big rock, readers shadow Hank the pill bug for a day in his life. Hank has a breakfast of dead leaf and then sets off on a detailed and exciting journey past other small ground-dwellers ( a curious cricket, a weird worm, a scary grasshopper. Yikes! ), up his exercise stick, and across a big sidewalk to meet a friend. Cleverly designed, the book tells the story through droll narration ( He stops to inspect a rainbow made of chalk ) paired with editorializing labels from Hank's perspective on the corresponding picture ( some stripey art ). Vulnerable Hank's small size and wide eyes make mundane objects such as bottle caps and skateboards into gripping plot points, until at last he comes face to face with his best friend, a human child dressed as her namesake and hero, Amelia Earhart. Hank crawls onto her helmet, and she races around the yard like a plane, giving Hank (and readers, too) an amazing view of the world! The digital illustrations capture Hank's personality and charmingly convey his bug's-eye vantage point through details, size, and changes in perspective. Like this small bug's life, the book encompasses more than one might first imagine as it celebrates special friendships and the adventure one can discover in day-to-day life. julie roach

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)