Sparky! by Jenny Offill, illustrated by Chris Appelhans, reviewed by Sarah Hammond

I chuckled many times when reading this offbeat, quirky picture book. Many parents express concerns when their child wants a pet. In Sparky!, the protagonist extracts her mother's promise that she can have any pet as long as it ‘doesn’t need to be walked or bathed or fed.’ 

And where would a child go when researching the solution to such a problem? Answer: her school librarian Mrs. Kinklebaum ‘(who knows everything in the world).’

Fast forward to the arrival of a sloth by Express Mail. 

Sparky is an endearing new family member. Offill makes wry observations about his appearance and the peculiarities of his interactions with his new owner. It takes two days for the sloth to wake up, and when he does:

‘He didn’t know a lot of games, so I taught him some. 

We played King of the Mountain

and I won.

We played Hide-and-Seek

and I won…

We played Statue and Sparky

was very, very good.’

The story builds to its climax as the protagonist tries to show off her new pet’s skills to a skeptical neighbor and the local crossing guard in a Trained Sloth Extravaganza. Sparky is not receptive to the girl’s training sessions and, in the end, while the extravaganza does not go as planned, the protagonist accepts his unique characteristics with humor. 

‘I tagged him on his claw.

“You’re it, Sparky,” I said. 

And for a long, long time he was.’

The story is told in first person, and although we never learn the girl protagonist’s name, we get a strong sense of her character. She shows resilience in finding a suitable pet, works enthusiastically to engage with her sloth, and ultimately enjoys the sleepy companionships he offers. Offhill’s thumbnail descriptions of the other characters are also deft and telling.

For me this is a story about a girl adapting to befriend an unusual character with charm and humor at its heart. There is a distinct atmosphere to the book. The writing is concise and spare, the jokes dry and understated. Chris Appelhans (an artist for animated feature films including Coraline and Fantastic Mr Fox) captures the slow-moving Sparky with similar humor in his illustrations. Sparky does not move a muscle whether up a tree or sitting on the ground. Even his expression remains largely the same.Tellingly, the last illustration shows the girl and her sloth sitting happily side-by-side on a branch, watching the sun set.  

www.sarahhammond.org

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ELISE AND THE SECOND HAND DOG, by Bjarne Reuter, reviewed by Saviour Pirotta

Title: Elise and the Second-Hand Dog
Illustrated by Kirsten Raagaard
Translated from the Danish by Sian Mckie
Published by Wacky Bee Books, 2018

Bjarne Reuter is considered a national treasure in Denmark. His first children's book, Kidnapping, was published in 1975 and since then he has won major awards in both his native country and Germany.

Now Wacky Bee Books brings us his 2016 middle-grade novel, Elise and the Second-Hand Dog.  Elise, who lives in Copenhagen, misses her mum who is helping to build a suspension bridge in the Amazon rainforest.  Her dad, a violinist, gives in to her pleas to buy a dog. As there's not much money, the only pug they can afford is a second-hand asthmatic one with a rotund belly, spindly legs and ears that stick out at different angles. He smells of cheese. A close encounter with a cement mixer has left him looking worse for wear. Elise's dad thinks he's the most horrible-looking dog in the world but Elise decides he's as handsome as a prince and decides to name him Prince Valiant the Great.

During a private, Christening ceremony, involving Russian choral music and white vermouth borrowed from an eccentric neighbour called Miss Martini, the dog reveals that he already has a name. McAduddi. He's from Tobermory in Scotland and, yes, he can talk. His mum taught him. Together, Elise and McAduddi, have a string of wonderful adventures that cements their friendship forever.

This is a delightful book, full of warmth, humour and well-defined characters you will fall in love with. Elise's community comes alive on the page and reveals itself to be a warm, welcoming one. Kirsten Raagaard's illustrations are a joy that enhance the story. It's one to come back to over and over again. I especially love how Reuter and his translator don't shy away from using difficult names of composers and places.  The book is about to be turned into a film and a television series in Denmark. I hope they'll be released here too, and that more of Bjarne Reuter's books make it to our shores in translation. This one is a gem.

Saviour Pirotta is the author of the Ancient Greek Mysteries published by Bloomsbury. Visit him at www.spirotta.com. Follow on twitter @spirotta.

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