Available:*
Library | Audience | Home Location | Material Type | Shelf Number | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Heights | Kid/Juvenile | Picture books | Kids book | E PHELA | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
With warmth and humor, award-winning author-illustrator Matt Phelan follows a child as she leads her daddy on some rainy-day flights of fancy.
It's raining and raining and raining, and Penelope is bored. "What would you do if you had your druthers?" asks her daddy. Well, if Penelope had her druthers, she'd go to the zoo. Or be a cowgirl. Or a pirate captain who sails to the island of dinosaurs, or flies away on a rocket to the moon. If Penelope had her druthers, she'd go off on amazing adventures -- but then again, being stuck inside may not be so bad if your daddy is along for the ride!
Author Notes
Matt Phelan is the author-illustrator of the highly acclaimed and award-winning graphic novels The Storm in the Barn , Around the World , and Bluffton . He is also the illustrator of many books for young readers, including Always and I'll Be There by Ann Stott and The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron, which won the 2007 Newbery Medal. He lives in Philadelphia.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-"'I'm bored,'" Penelope declares to her father. It has been raining and raining and raining. So Daddy asks what she'd do if she had her druthers. After he briefly explains what "druthers" means, Penelope lets her imagination sail. When she suggests going to the zoo, her father becomes a gorilla on the staircase; when she decides to be a cowgirl, they rustle up and wrangle some stuffed animals; and when she's a pirate captain, they sail off to the island of dinosaurs, and to the moon "for the biggest party ever." After spending so much play time with Daddy, Penelope decides that it might be nice if it rained the next day, too. This is a simple story with an underlying theme of parental love. The layout is clean and uncluttered, with only one or two sentences per spread. The book is suitable for bedtime, one-on-one sharing, or storytimes. The illustrations are realistic in nature and are rendered in ink and watercolor. With its theme of daddies and daughters interacting playfully and positively, this book will be suitable for inclusion in any picture book collection.-Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
It's raining, it's pouring, and Penelope finds it all really boring. Does Penelope's father march her over to the TV and put on Frozen? No siree. He teaches her the intriguing titular concept ("Druthers are what you would rather do if you could do anything at all") and embarks with her on several pretend-play scenarios. When Penelope says she'd rather visit the zoo, Dad gamely imitates a gorilla. But Penelope has something more elaborate in mind-her vision of sailing a pirate ship to the "island of dinosaurs" morphs into a trip to the moon for a dance party. Phelan (Bluffton) alternates between fantasy scenes of the two wrangling cattle and outrunning dinosaurs and images of a living room in increasing disarray (many families will identify with the closing scene, in which just about every toy Penelope owns has been hauled out to support the cause). As Penelope's father proves himself more than worthy of a "Best Dad Ever" mug, the energetic and warmly funny watercolors convey a father-daughter relationship that clearly means a lot to both parties. Ages 2-5. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
How much fun can be packed into a rainy day? Lots, if youre like this energetic daughter-daddy duo.Penelope is extremely bored on a day when it just wont stop raining. When her daddy asks her her druthers and defines the expressiona lucky happenstance for her and young readers wholl likely delight in trotting out this new word henceforthPenelope offers up various possibilities: going to the zoo, being a cowgirl, helming a pirate ship sailing to the island of dinosaurs and flying to the moon. What an agendaand what an imaginative, playful pair this child and her father are. Making the most of her vast array of toys and increasingly elaborate ideas and his seemingly never-ending supply of patience and creativity, dont you know that dad leaps on every suggestion, and the two are off having a grand timesound effects, props and all. Phelans gentle ink-and-watercolor illustrations are filled with rollicking activity, and the soft colors and outlines evoke the close, loving relationship. The books concept doesnt break new ground, but this is a warm and fuzzy look at how much fun kids can have with game, fully supportive parents in their corners, and young listeners may pick up some new ideas for their own rainy days. Noticing all the potential for fun, theyll probably agree with Penelope that if they really had their druthers it would rain tomorrow, too.Keep this for any day, not just a rainy one. (Picture book. 2 -5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
It is pouring outside, and Penelope is bored. Her daddy asks Penelope what she would do if she had her druthers (he supplies a wonderful definition), unleashing a storm of creative play. Penelope provides the ideas; Dad offers agreeable accompaniment. Staircase balusters become a cage at the zoo; the arms of the couch become horses. Watercolor-and-ink illustrations at first run with gray, reflecting the weather, and alternate between the pretend scene and the living room. But as Penelope's imaginative play becomes more elaborate and delightfully improbable, colorful panoramas take precedence and follow each other in rapid succession. It all culminates in THE BIGGEST MOON PARTY EVER, involving lots of toys and more than a few arts-and-crafts projects. Daddy looks a bit paint-spattered and rumpled, but it is clear he would do it all again when Penelope gives him a big hug and wishes it would rain again tomorrow. Readers may hope for rain, too, and the chance to act this book out.--McDermott, Jeanne Copyright 2014 Booklist
