  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 05/01/2016 PreS-Gr 2—As in Miyares's Pardon Me!, creatures stand in for humans, allowing the author plenty of latitude to explore less than exemplary behavior. In this leafy world, the grasshopper king's first words are the titular command; he desires a "majestic pedestal." The colorful parade of insects produce a variety of gray rocks that reach toward the sky as the assembly progresses, but the ruler is unimpressed. When the littlest fellow presents his pebble, the king dismisses the offering and the bug in a disdainful rant. The digitally manipulated watercolors portray a verdant habitat. Full-bleed spreads alternate with small cameos on white backgrounds for a pleasing variety. Extreme shifts in perspective enhance the drama—first, the king's enormous body crosses the gutter to stare down at the tiny insect cowering in the corner. Later, the reclining royal sips his drink (replete with a miniature cocktail umbrella) from a dizzying aerial viewpoint. Suddenly, the tower starts to teeter. When the smallest citizen's contribution saves the day, the chagrined king grants him a favor. Ultimately all the insects are elevated to the same level. Children with bossy classmates or siblings will recognize the type, and the situation will certainly be familiar to those who have heard Aesop's fables. - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 05/01/2016 From the lush grasses of a vast field, Grasshopper—king of the insects—commands, “Bring me a rock!” and his many-legged subjects scurry to comply. Soon the bugs return with large rocks hefted over their heads, ready for the king’s inspection. Not just any rock will do, as these are to be used to build a “majestic pedestal.” A blue rhinoceros beetle, a yellow leaf bug, and a green praying mantis deposit their stony offerings at their snooty sovereign’s feet, but a tiny beetle’s pebble is callously rejected. Before long the grasshopper is lounging atop his new tower, which starts swaying alarmingly. It seems the king’s throne has a pebble-sized problem. Miyares’ verdant digital-and-watercolor illustrations bring humor to this tyrannical tale with funny details and open expressions on the insects’ faces. Large-scale artwork in bold colors and a minimal text make this easy to share with a group. Consider pairing with Olivier Tallec’s Louis I, King of the Sheep (2015) for another example of rulers run amok. - Copyright 2016 Booklist. Bulletin for the Center... - 06/01/2016 With a crown atop his head, a despotic grasshopper utters the titular command to a beleaguered quintet of his insect subjects. They obey as he looks on, or looks up from his book, with dismissiveness or downright scorn, asking a mantis if that’s the best he’s got and belittling a wee beetle for his offering of a puny pebble. Megalomaniacal to the core, the grasshopper is satisfied only when perched atop the resulting tower of rocks, where he looms over the land, sipping a drink with an umbrella-until the tower starts to teeter. Just as it seems to be curtains for this green giant, the beetle realizes that that puny pebble might be useful after all. This tale of egalitarianism and the worth of even the smallest contribution emerges in staccato dialogue, almost all the grasshopper’s pronouncements. A great deal of the story is therefore carried by the lavish watercolor and digital illustrations, which fill double-page spreads with engagingly rendered insects, bright in their reds, blues, and greens against the lush tones of their earthy habitat. Subtle laughs and the enveloping illustrations-not to mention the triumph of the tiny-make this a good lap read for li’l bugs. AA - Copyright 2016 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Loading...
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