  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 09/15/2017 *Starred Review* When Lola the armadillo spills juice all over the sofa, she cries, “I’ve ruined everything!” There’s only one thing for it, of course: running away. On her dash to the library (“they have books and bathrooms”), she meets a bear who just obliterated a swing. Then a sheep who accidentally snipped a hose with garden shears. Then a puffer fish who ruins a cake. Then utter chaos ensues: everywhere they run, someone has ruined something. Tsurumi’s pages are dizzyingly jam-packed with disasters committed by cartoonish animals of all stripes: a bull sheepishly exits a china shop with an armful of broken dishes. A narwhal bursts a balloon with its tusk. A toucan wets his pants. A turtle smashes shell first into a pie. A chicken is served an egg for breakfast! All the while, huge, calamitous words in playful, hand-drawn fonts loom large—“Fiasco!” “Big Big Trouble!” “Wrecked!” and, finally, “CATASTROPHE,” when poor Lola can’t even escape mayhem in the library (check out that owl stamping a library patron’s face). Luckily, a wise bird reminds Lola that her initial spill was just an accident, and soon everyone’s graciously apologizing and helping to tidy up the city. Tsurumi comically gets to the heart of how children frantically worry about mistakes, and poring over the riotous illustrations is pure joy. This will delight again and again. - Copyright 2017 Booklist. School Library Journal - 11/01/2017 PreS-Gr 2—When Lola the armadillo spills juice all over her family's white chair, she hastily decides to run to the library, since "they have books and bathrooms," and hide there till she's a grown-up. Along the way she encounters other animals in similar situations: a bear who breaks a swing set, a pufferfish who ruins a cake, and a lamb who chops up a hose. Things don't go very well for the group once they reach the library, and Lola finally learns how to deal with accidents—by keeping calm and trying to make amends. Tsurumi's hilarious dialogue and story is matched only by her drawings. Her world-building ability evokes the style of Richard Scarry; there's something going on in every inch of the page, and children will love to pore over the art again and again to see all the hysterical accidents occurring. With so much happening, it's easy to overlook all of the clever details, like the narwhal in the background who pops a balloon with its horn or the mole who sits on a cactus, far away from the main action. Her choice of a 60's color palette not only makes her characters pop of the page and add to their charm, but ensures that this book will age well and may be shared for decades to come. VERDICT A standout hit—make no mistake about it.—Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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