Next to You

December 14, 2015
Readers in need of a little flattery will have no trouble finding it as Houran’s unseen narrator insists that a parade of increasingly adorable animals is nothing compared to a certain young human. “Next to you,” she begins, “the softest puppy in the world is only kind of cute.... A squirrel eating a doughnut with his tiny hands? Adorable, sure. But next to you? Meh. Just OK.” Hanson (D Is for Duck Calls) doesn’t drop the ball on her end—her impossibly fuzzy ducklings, wobbly-legged fawns, and baby bunnies with eyes as big as their ears set a high bar for cuteness. (They also create a bit of a Golden Books feel, fitting given Houran’s former role as editorial director of that imprint.) Is there such a thing as cute overload? Maybe. As unequivocally cuddly as these animals are, the conceit starts to drag after a while. But Houran’s irreverent tone and some clever details like an opening page where gift-givers can write the name of their favorite child, “who is just the cutest,” get the job done. Ages 4–8. Illustrator’s agent: Justin Rucker, Shannon Associates.

July 1, 2016
"Lambs. Pandas. Koalas. Penguins. / Cute, cute, cute, and cute. Until you came along. Now? Sorta so-so." A parent addresses her child in lovingly funny text accompanied by illustrations of baby animals out of Golden Books central casting. This offering succeeds at both of its gambits: one look at each old-fashionedly guileless animal will inspire the "Aw..." reflex, and the modernese-tinged narration is somehow genuinely heartwarming.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

December 15, 2015
What could possibly be more adorable than lots of fuzzy baby animals with biiig dark eyes, stubby little legs (oooh), and waggy tails (awww)? Take a guess. Redeemed from Joan Walsh Anglund-style saccharinity by its playful tone, the narrative weighs a succession of stereotypically cute, small creatures against a never-seen "you" and finds them wanting. "Two kittens with a ball of yarn? / A line of fuzzy yellow ducklings? // A squirrel eating a doughnut with his tiny hands? / Adorable, sure. But next to you? Meh." Hanson follows suit in her bright illustrations, the roly-poly darlings in her bright illustrations placed on white space for maximum focus. They sport oversized heads with fetching smiles and wide, slightly crossed eyes--hard but not, with a little effort, impossible to resist. The appearance of a newborn giraffe ("SO. UNBELIEVABLY. SWEET") brings a suspenseful moment of weakness, but "No! NO WAY! They are NOT as adorable as you. Not NEARLY." Whew! "Next to you, even a baby seal doesn't stand a chance," Houran concludes. "And you know what? I'm happy to be...next to you." All those baby animals sleeping together in a heap at the end amount to nothing less than a nearly lethal overdose of cuteness. A refreshing alternative to hypersentimental entries in the "I love you more than anything!" genre: sincere without being goopy. (Picture book. 2-5)

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