Priscilla and the Splish-Splash Surprise
by Nathaniel Hobbie; illustrated by Jocelyn Hobbie
Reviewed by Deb Clark
Three days of nonstop rain have Priscilla stuck in the house and stir-crazy enough to do just about anything – even chores – to stave off boredom. When her efforts fail, she ventures outside to try a rain-stopping dance. There she meets Posy, a pixie from the Land of Primrose, who imparts to Priscilla the positive aspects of precipitation.
“Look here,” Posy called. “The Funk Funnel Vine.
The smell isn’t great but it’s funneling’s devine.
And the Bob-Along Beetle.
The Umbrella Flower.
The Muck Mover Mole has come out for his shower
Just get a gander at the Great Gargling Crane.
All of these creatures, they live for the rain!”
The whole thing is more than a bit Seussian, and while Nathaniel Hobbie isn’t the master of rhyming verse that Theodore Geisel was (but then, who is?), the brightly-hued, cartoonish illustrations by sibling Jocelyn are dripping with exuberance and droll detail. This is the pair’s second book featuring Priscilla.
My 4-year-old was so enchanted with this book that after I read it to her the first time, she postponed a requested viewing of the latest Disney video rental from the local library to “read” it again herself.
Rating: *\*\*\
Comments