From Publishers Weekly:
Hippely's (The Crimson Ribbon) rhyming four-line stanzas coupled with realistic illustrations by first-time artist Upton chronicle a rainstorm outing. Ensconced in their bed in a house by the sea as a storm rages outside, a boy and his Beary hear faraway cries of distress. "On Klickitat Island/ just think of the rains,/ now soaking the otters/ and poor baby cranes," says the boy. Beary pulls on his raincoat and out the pair goes to row over perilous waves and aid the island animals. Upton's pictures set against a dark blue background and border depict a range of expressions, from the looks of consternation and amazement on the boy's face to the fear and dawning triumph in the eyes of the animals as the boy narrator stands on a tree stump waving his blankie like an aegis and encourages them as they erect a shelter. The more dramatic illustrations occur at the beginning, as readers view lightning stretching across a window and a boat tossing over the sea, whereas the later pages, showing huddled deer, rabbits and otters, grow repetitive. Nonetheless, Hippely's rhythmic first-person tale ends on an upswing, when the sun shines again. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews:
This well-crafted poem from Hippely, about responsibility and daring in the teeth of a storm, has some of its power diluted by overly tame artwork. As a boy and his teddy, Beary, snuggle in for the night, a great blow commences. The bear hears a call of distress, so they get up and row their dinghy out to Klickitat Island, where they find a bedraggled lot of animals suffering from the storm's rain and chill. The boy rallies the despondent otters, deer, rabbits, and foxes (``We've brought you our blankie/we'll share it with you;/it helps us feel brave/and will help you all, too'') to build a shelter in which to hunker down and wait out the storm. When the weather breaks that night, the boy and teddy head back to the boat and home, where they promise themselves to go back to Klickitat the next dark, stormy night. The musicality of the poem and its understated virtuousness overcome any visual inconsistencies with a dynamism and gallantry all its own. (Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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