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Searching... Avon-Washington Township Public Library | Juvenile Picture Book Hardback | 120791001105415 | J P GRI | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
This picture book follows William and his mother when they move into their new house. William does not like his new room one bit. He misses his old home and the way things used to be. But when Mom puts up new dinosaur wallpaper, and William makes friends with the kid next door, he begins to settle in.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-William liked his old room in his old house. He liked the view from his window, the jungle gym in his backyard, and the place where he and his father had a garden. Though all he sees from his new room are weeds and laundry, there is a boy waving from a tree. William's mother lets him pick out dinosaur wallpaper, he makes friends with the boy next door, and he begins to settle into his new home. The gentle narrative concludes when his divorced mother comes to tuck him in and he quietly wonders, "Will Dad let me choose the paper for my room at his new house?" "I'm sure he will," she tells him. Colorful, charming cartoon-style, mixed-media illustrations are a comforting complement to this story of a child adjusting to many changes.-Doris Gebel, Northport-East Northport Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
"I like my old room better," says William at the beginning of this gentle picture book about adjusting to change. But by the time he helps his mother put up his new dinosaur wallpaper and makes friends with a new neighbor, William learns to like his new room after all. The tale takes a surprising twist at the end when William asks, "Will Dad let me choose the paper for my room at his new house?" Grindley (What Are Friends For?) charts William's gradual change in attitude toward his new home with warmth and sympathy. Occasionally the dialogue seems heavy-handed ("What did it matter that this jungle gym was in Tom's [his next-door neighbor's] yard and not his?" asks the narrator. "Jungle gyms were only fun if you had someone to play with, and [William] didn't have a friend next door at his old house"), but Thompson's (Bumpety Bump) mixed media, cartoonlike illustrations of William's evolving surroundings help to cement the hero's newfound state of contentment. William's Tintin-like countenance, the joy he finds in his next-door neighbor's company and the cheerful, crayon-bright wallpaper dinosaurs are appealing enough to provide plenty of reassurance to young readers facing similar unwanted changes. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
With the aid of his understanding mother, a young boy adapts to a new home. William picks out wallpaper for his new room and finds a friend next door. Dad is only shown in a family photo--a mystery cleared up at the end when William's mom assures him that he'll be able to choose paper for his room at his dad's new house, too. Splashy mixed-media illustrations accompany the reassuring story. From HORN BOOK Spring 2001, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
It is a sad day for young William. He has had to leave all that is familiar: his home, his old room, and although it is unspoken until the end yet resonant throughout, his father. His new room is bleak: His old room had a soft red carpet and bright yellow curtains. This room was bare except for his bed and a pile of boxes. William doesnt even return the wave of a boy he can see from his window. But gradually, both William and his grim surroundings start to thaw. At the store, he plans to choose his old wallpaper but then spies some with a dinosaur pattern. When he gets home, he gets his dinosaur collection out of its box and starts to play. He offers a tentative wave to the boy out the window. The next day, as his mom papers his room, he meets the boy and they become fast friends. Charging into his room when the wallpapering is finished, they find it just the cats meow. Thats when, on the last page, Grindley detonates her bombWill dad let me choose the paper for my room at his new house? wonders Williamwhich is stark naked and not a little cruel. This point was fairly perking under the surface, and was more effective kept where it tapped into childrens feelings without throwing it in their faces. Thompsons art, with its tender colors and wobbly lines, works well throughout the book, even softening that final blow. (Picture book. 4-8)
Booklist Review
Ages 5^-8. A very gentle look at a very difficult point in a child's life. William and his mom are moving to a new house. His new room has only boxes and his bed, and the first night, in the dark, all the shapes are different from what he's used to. In the morning his mother takes him to pick out new wallpaper, and even though William thinks he wants it to be the same as it was in his old room, he finds dinosaur wallpaper instead. As his mom transforms his walls, William gets used to the new view from his window, and he meets the kid next door, who has a jungle gym just like the one William left behind. When the wallpapering is all done, William wonders if his dad will let him choose the paper for his room at Dad's new house. Splashy, brightly colored pictures with ink and collage details emphasize the reassuring nature of the story. --GraceAnne A. DeCandido