Praise for Templeton Gets His Wish
"Cheerful entertainment, with just a touch of snark."
-Publishers Weekly
"Templeton...conveys intense emotion with a few simple lines and very bright colors, as his tale reflects the endearing aspects of a small child's struggles to behave."
-Booklist
"Templeton is a celebration of independence, and of our complex feelings about those we love."
-Horn Book
Praise for Number One Sam
"Pizzoli's zingy ice-pop colors and dramatically varied page compositions take home the blue ribbon."
-New York Times
* "[A] class act."
-Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "[A]nother winner from Pizzoli."
-Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "'[A] popular choice at storytimes." -School Library Journal
"Pizzoli's talent with color, easy-to-read words, and humor is something to behold . . . This one does it all."
-Horn Book
"[T]his will zoom off shelves."
-Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Praise for The Watermelon Seed
Winner of the 2014 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
"Pizzoli legitimizes childish anxieties but also slyly exaggerates each worry to highlight the humor."
-New York Times
* "It's an expert debut..."
-Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "Children will love this hilarious book...The story has broad appeal, making it a great first purchase."
-School Library Journal, starred review"
The illustrations, done in a graphic, flat-color style with simple linework, recall the cheerful stylings of Ed Emberley and Roger Hargreaves. While Pizzoli uses the computer to arrange his compositions, he takes extra care to hand print the pieces. Done in a three-color printing, the silk screen offers a toothiness to the page, giving fruit, animal and emotions more substance."
-Kirkus Reviews
"With a sharp graphic sensibility, vibrant design, and adept characterization, Pizzoli spins the simple premise into a sweet confection, ripe with broad humor."
-Booklist Online
01/01/2016
PreS-Gr 1—Owl is just beginning his bedtime routine when he hears an annoying squeak. Readers can see that a cheerful little mouse is responsible, but Owl remains clueless about its origins. His attempts at discovering where the noise is coming from not only are glaringly wrong but also cause him to do enormous damage to his home. When he thinks that the squeak is coming from under the floor, he pulls up every last floorboard. When he is certain that he has a "noisy roof," children witness a manic Owl destroying it with a sledgehammer. The stakes get higher and higher, as will the laughs and groans from readers, until he obliterates every inch of his domicile save his bed. It is at this point that Owl spies Mouse, and with that discovery, they both go happily to sleep. While the ending is quirky and feels abrupt, kids will be greatly amused by Pizzoli's latest effort. VERDICT Filled with big, colorful illustrations and amusing facial expressions, this is a lively addition for most collections and a definite storytime addition.—Amy Nolan, St. Joseph Public Library, St. Joseph, MI
2016-01-20
Something is preventing Owl from falling asleep. Owl leans back against his white pillow and headboard. "Squeek!" says something underneath the bed. Owl's never heard that sound before, so he fastens his pink bathrobe and answers the front door. Nobody. It must be the wind; back to bed. Bidding himself goodnight, he climbs into bed—and hears the noise again. Time after time, he pops out of bed seeking the squeaker. Is it in the cupboard? He empties the shelves. Under the floor? He pulls up his floorboards. As Owl's actions ratchet up—he destroys the roof and smashes the walls, all in search of the squeak—so does his anxiety. Not until he hunkers down in bed under the night sky (his bed is now outdoors, because the house's roof and walls are gone), frantically clutching his pillow, does he see what readers have seen all along: a small, gray mouse. In simple illustrations with black outlines, textured coloring, and foreshortened perspective, Pizzoli plays mischievously with mouse placement. Sometimes the mouse is behind Owl or just out of his sightline; other times, the mouse is on a solid, orange-colored page across the spread from Owl, which removes him from Owl's scene in a rather postmodern manner. Is the mouse toying with Owl? Who knows? A funny tale about stress and an ever upping ante, with a comforting end. (Picture book. 3-5)
