Will You Carry Me?

by Helene Van Rossum, Peter Van Harmelen (Illustrator)

Overview

This simple story of a familiar plaint is charmingly carried out in capricious scenes featuring a clever mom and a cute kid. A universal experience that will have both toddlers and parents grinning turning the plea for carry me into playful fun. - Kirkus Reviews

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781933605227
Publisher:	Kane/Miller Book Publishers
Publication date:	09/28/2006
Pages:	28
Product dimensions:	7.70(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

Editorial Reviews

Here's a book from a Dutch team that should resonate with both preschoolers and the adults who end up lugging them home: a savvy mom manages to evade the title request-and still make her son feel like the luckiest kid in the world. After a wonderful day in the park, Thomas decides he's too pooped to make the return trip on his own two feet. "Well," says Mommy, assuming a frog-like posture, "if you're too tired to walk, maybe we should try... jumping!" When the charm of that option wears off, and home is still not in sight, she suggests swimming down the street, flying and lastly a sprint. "And they run and laugh all the way down the street, until, finally, they are home." Van Rossum's crisp, engaging text is a model of economy, while van Harmelen's fluid ink lines give Mommy (who wears a mod, navel-baring ensemble) a wacky balletic grace; her wiry limbs and expressive face (especially her glee after hitting on yet another idea to distract Thomas) augment the upbeat watercolors' visual punch lines. To underscore the infectious fun of Mommy's ingenuity, van Harmelen also adds a growing panoply of fanciful hangers-on-a blue kangaroo, a snorkel-outfitted boy carting a fish tank on his aquatic-themed bicycle-who seem to represent toys come alive. It all adds up to a lovely confection, and one that may just inspire some similarly creative walks home. Ages 2-4. (Mar.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

This charming Dutch import is a masterpiece of the art of redirection. Thomas the toddler is tired. He has played hard and wants mom to carry him home. But mom's tired too, so she tweaks her weary toddler's imagination by suggesting different forms of locomotion to get home. Thomas is enthusiastic and every time he begins to flag, mom comes up with another idea and before he knows it, he is home! Exuberant mom proves she can think like a child as they "fly" and "swim" toward home. Lush pastel pink, green, and purple watercolors lend an air of fantasy to the scene as do the wonderful caste of characters following and imitating mom's actions. A duck, a squirrel, a rabbit, and a frog are joined by a monkey a blue patchwork kangaroo, and a pink gazelle as everyone joins in the fun. The humorous visual clues in the illustrations hint at the activity to come next as more and more outrageous animals join the parade. No teddy bear for this child of the imaginative mom—his stuffed animal looks more like a ring-tailed lemur. The repetition and simple text will appeal to three and four year-olds, and it will be fun for them to guess from the illustrations what activity comes next. An inspired prescription for tired toddlers for banishing whines. 2005, Kane/Miller Publishers, Ages 2 to 4.
—Quinby Frank

Children's Literature

PreS-When it is time to return home from the park, tired toddler Thomas asks Mom to carry him. A wonderfully funky, contemporary, creative young woman, she suggests that they jump home instead of walking. "She hitches up her pants and bends her knees," and the two hop off. When the tot tires of this and asks again to be carried, Mom convinces him to pretend to swim, fly, and finally run and chase, laughing all the way home. The two are framed by a confection of candy colors and accompanied in the clever illustrations by an increasing m lange of toys, fairies, bugs, birds, and various other companions that mirror the glee or distress of the pair. The succinct and bright text is perfectly matched by the light, sparkling art and expressive faces on the frizzy-haired mom and sweet child. Parents (who may pick up tips for the next time they are in this situation) and toddlers will enjoy this refreshing romp.-Marge Loch-Wouters, Menasha's Public Library, WI Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

This simple story of a familiar plaint is charmingly carried out in capricious scenes featuring a clever mom and a cute kid. Thomas has played in the park all day long and is tired. "Will you carry me?" he asks. Mommy suggests that if he's too tired to walk, maybe they "should try . . . JUMPING!" And she hitches up her pants, bends her knees, and jumps past the pond and through the grass-with Thomas right behind her. Swimming and flying are the next ploys and finally running as Mommy laughingly chases Thomas home. Whimsical, airy illustrations portray Mommy in red pedal-pushers, banded, frizzy hair, hoop earrings, and a knapsack and Thomas with a white brush cut. Various birds, butterflies, bees, even a fairy, flutter around in the scenes mimicking the action. Repeated readings will reveal many quirky, humorous details such as the boy on a bike wearing a mask and snorkel with a bowl of fish strapped to the back and a mermaid perched on the handlebars. A universal experience that will have both toddlers and parents grinning, turning the plea for "carry me" into playful fun. (Picture book. 2-4)

Kirkus Reviews