Hurry Up!

March 30, 2020
Kids aren’t exempt from fast-paced living, especially not the brown-skinned child who stars in this prescription for downtime by the late Dopirak (Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Car). Neal (From Tree to Sea) visualizes its opening words with images of the child dashing down the stairs and out to the bus: “Hurry up!/ Hurry down./ Hurry round and round... and round.” At school, the classroom teems with activity (“Hurry here!/ Hurry there!/ Hurry, scurry everywhere!”), and the sprint continues back home, snarled by the family pup tugging at a shoelace. Out for a walk, child and dog continue at the breakneck pace until “STOP!” appears in large letters across the sky, a message from the universe. A page turn reveals a world transformed and on pause. Everything is green as child and pup watch a snail (“Slow things down”), and a tossed stick tumbles lazily end over end before reaching the leaping dog (“Take a break”). A long, luxurious afternoon ends at dusk as the pair head home. Neal’s visual pacing takes readers from frenetic activity to solitary moonlit slumber in one smooth arc, embodying the shift to calm that all creatures crave—and need. Ages up to 8. Author’s agent: Tracey Adams, Adams Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Stephen Barr, Writers House.

May 8, 2020

K-Gr 2-Many people would benefit from the important messages urged in this book-slow down, breathe deeply, and take a walk in nature. Readers meet a child rushing to complete the responsibilities of each day. With hair flying and a backpack on, the child is always hurrying at home and at school in order to "win" and "reach the top." Finally, a spread with just the word STOP brings a halt to the child's breakneck pace. The child takes a break, makes a wish, goes on a walk, and listens to "the forest talk." The rhymes in the latter half of the story are gentle and sweet, as the child and a steadfast dog enjoy the simple pleasures of life in a beautifully green world. VERDICT For collections seeking a secular message of paths to peace, this unexpected admonishment turns into a well-paced meditation for children and adults alike.-Sally James, South Hillsborough Elem. Sch., Hillsborough, CA

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from April 15, 2020
A child learns to change the pace in this playful picture book. A brown-skinned child with energetic, straight hair wakes to "hurry up," flies down the stairs, backpack in tow, and out the door to the school bus. At school, children of various racial presentations "hurry here. / Hurry there. / Hurry, scurry everywhere!" Leaving school, getting home, starting homework, and taking the dog out all happen in a hurry--until the child and dog reach a meadow and "STOP. // Slow things down." Looking closely at nature and the landscape, playing fetch, and exploring until the sun goes down become ways to slow it down, right through bedtime. The spare, rhyming text is fun to read aloud, and it conveys a too-familiar feeling of helter-skelter frenzy that settles into a friendlier pace suited to attention to the world and then relaxation. The illustrations use rows of chairs, rows of houses, crowds of children, and flying papers to represent chaos, competition, and stress, then close-ups, panoramic views, and saturated colors to show the sources of calm and restorative slowness. This story is sure to strike a chord with many a modern family; it's a wonderful addition to a bedtime collection to settle in with at the end of a hectic day. Hurry up and buy this charming book. (Picture book. 3-8)

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