Synopsis
Hot, hot, hot! Everyone -- the elephant, the tiger, and the rhinoceros -- is hot. But the baby elephant knows just what to do. Down to the water they go to drink -- and to SPLASH! And squirt and splosh and sploosh! Then everybody feels MUCH better. With brilliant paintings that saturate the pages, Flora McDonnell refreshes the very concept of young picture books.
Publishers Weekly
Just in time for the dog days of summer, McDonnell (I Love Boats) makes waves with this captivating oversize picture book. The story line is simplicity itself: hot and grumpy, Tiger, Rhinoceros and Mother Elephant follow a baby elephant down to the water hole, where they find relief from the heat. Pairing her bare-bones text ("Hot, hot, hot! The elephants are hot") with big, bold, vibrant illustrations, McDonnell places her audience squarely in the midst of the fun. Underpinned by a thorough grasp of color harmony, McDonnell's artwork has an appealing, larger-than-life quality. Her color combinations tempt the eye and set the tone for each scene, from the orange and black stripes of a tiger's fur against a sultry yellow backdrop for "hot," to the soothing blues and greens of the waterhole oasis for "cool." The splash-fest especially is sure to delight preschoolers: "Whoosh! Sploosh! goes Tiger," reads one spread, while the next shows all four creatures romping, a "Splash!" printed next to each. With its easy, assured presentation belying a careful craftsmanship, this vigorous romp showcases McDonnell's keen sensitivity to the visual and verbal needs of the very young. Ages 3-6. (June) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.