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Summary
Summary
According to Publishers Weekly in a starred review, this picture book "capture[s] the exuberance of the creative spirit alongside the quirks of a character accepting his limitations." Mario is a squirrel who loves to invent amazing moves, like the Super Looper and Tail, Don't Fail. But though his parents ooh and ahh at whatever he does, his friend Isabelle is not so easily impressed. When she points out that anyone can have a move, Mario must find some other way to stand out.
Sometimes being amazing is hard work, as shown in this zany yet accessible picture book from Jill McElmurry, illustrator of The One and Only Marigold and Little Blue Truck. Young readers will instantly recognize themselves in Mario, as he searches for his one-of-a-kind talent. Here is a hilarious read-aloud that will have little ones oohing and ahhing--and trying out some moves of their own.
Author Notes
Jill McElmurry was born in Los Angeles, California on November 3, 1954. She studied art at the State University of New York at Purchase and the School of Visual Arts in New York. She worked for 20 years illustrating magazines, book covers, posters, and design projects for clients in the United States and Germany.
She went on to become a children's author and illustrator. Her first book, Mad About Plaid, was published in 2000. She illustrated more than 20 picture books including four of which she also wrote. She illustrated The Tree Lady written by Joseph Hopkins and the Little Blue Truck series written by Alice Schertle. She later became painter. She sold more than 60 paintings of New Mexican and Northern Minnesotan landscapes. She died from breast cancer on August 3, 2017 at the age of 62.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Mario is a frenetic squirrel whose "amazing" acrobatic high jinks impress his family but not his bespectacled friend Isabelle. Not only does she put down his best trick, but she also comes up with a more impressive one of her own and points out that everyone can have special moves. Crushed, Mario abandons his beloved but no longer unique hobby in favor of collecting "amazing" sticks (amusingly labeled with little name tags). Isabelle persuades him to return to his spiffy move-making. Teaming up, they teach each other new stunts and somewhat predictably, "everyone was amazed." There's something inherently humorous about squirrels, and McElmurry amplifies that quality in her stylized gouache illustrations. The mostly orange, light blue, and gray spreads are populated with comically expressive critters and graph-paper diagrams of their maneuvers. The last page features a "If You Are a Squirrel" list, which is full of interesting and potentially giggle-inducing facts about the animal. Though not quite "amazingly amazing," the story stands out as promoting doing something one loves.-Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Who needs a dance floor? Mario the squirrel busts out his signature Jitterbug, Super Looper, Arch 'n' Hiss, and other amazing feats in his natural habitat: the tree. While family members heap on the praise ("Astonishing!" "Artistic!"), Mario's pal Isabelle isn't as impressed ("That's nice"). She's busy crafting complicated moves of her own. Faced with not being as unique as he thought, Mario feels the wrong kind of funk coming on. But in true friend fashion, Isabelle knows how to help him get his groove-and his moves-back. In Mario, McElmurry (Who Stole Mona Lisa?) introduces a seemingly egotistical artiste who's actually quite likable. Her text and watercolor artwork capture the exuberance of the creative spirit alongside the quirks of a character accepting his limitations. Set in a forest of golden fall foliage, accented by some brown acorns and a supportive (and agile) woodland cast, the scenes will have readers longing for crisp autumn air. Sketched blueprints for various moves and an end page of facts labeled "If You Are a Squirrel" are among many memorable humorous details. Ages 3-7. Agent: Wernick and Pratt Agency. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Mario thinks that his dance move is uniquely "amazing"until fellow squirrel Isabelle shows him not only her own amazing move but also those of the other forest animals. Their amusingly earnest dialogue--equal parts snippy and supportive--recalls an exchange between teenagers. The illustrations include droll diagrams: a rudimentary one featuring Mario's move and a theorem-like one featuring Isabelle's. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Mario is a squirrel who loves his dance moves, from the "Bowling Ball" to "Twirly Ballet Arms," and his relatives assure him he is amazing. He believes them. His friend, bluetutu-and-glasses-sporting Isabelle, however, dismisses his dance moves as "nice:" " NICE?' said Mario. I think you mean amazing. Or astonishing, maybe.' Hmmm,' said Isabelle." When she informs Mario that anyone can have a move, he's devastated. He decides his new creative pursuit will be finding and displaying sticks amazing sticks. He labels his sticks "Scratchy," "Twiggles" and "Plain Jane." When Isabelle realizes she's driven her friend to these sticky extremes, she feels bad about the "nice" and switches it to a "elegant." She adds "graceful." In a harmonious denouement, the two squirrels mash their dance moves and invent the "Even More Amazingly Amazing Amazer." ("And everyone was amazed.") In one sense the story is about pursuing one's own passion, no matter what others say or don't say about it. It's also about a friend who realizes the power of the wrong word at the wrong time and takes it back. Warm, winning gouache illustrations reflect soft autumnal landscapes populated by cartoonish animals and are juxtaposed with comically elaborate diagrams of various dance moves, some detailed on cut-out graph paper. A charming story of friendship, dance moves, artistic fervor and squirrels. (And squirrel facts!) (Picture book. 4-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Young squirrel Mario enjoys devising new moves, like the gravity-defying Tail, Don't Fail; the branch-swinging Super Looper; and the tree-jumping Amazing Amazer; and he loves receiving his family's enthusiastic accolades. But his routine elicits only a that's nice from pal Isabelle, and after she shows him her own awesome move, Mario is feeling not so special and abandons his feats altogether. But with Isabelle's coaxing and compliments Mario gets his moves-groove back and discovers sharing and teamwork can be inspiring and lead to amazing results. With simple, conversational prose and charming art, this offers an entertaining, supportive approach to familiar themes and issues, including appreciating your own and others' abilities, and how creativity and collaboration can be fun and diversely rewarding. Colorfully hued and textured illustrations depict the lively animal characters, with playful perspectives and details, from Mario's inventive maneuvers montage to the pals' elaborate moves mash-up a deux. Arrows and dotted lines convey motion and direction throughout, and amusingly intricate diagrams rendered in childlike hand and font are interspersed. Some squirrel factoids appended.--Rosenfeld, Shelle Copyright 2010 Booklist
