  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 08/01/2017 When Peter shows up at the costume contest dressed as his favorite adventurer, Robinson Crusoe, all his friends do is laugh. Downtrodden, Peter staggers home and goes straight to bed. There he drifts off into a fever dream of a desert island, which Sís depicts in intricate, fanciful watercolor paintings in verdant greens and aqueous blues, looking like something out of a Henri Rousseau painting. Peter is alone on the island, save for some friendly animals, and like Robinson Crusoe, he must learn how to survive alone. Sís’ lovely artwork amplifies the dreamlike quality of the story and emphasizes Peter’s solitude, which never becomes loneliness; rather, it’s an opportunity to learn self-reliance and confidence in his own abilities. He can’t be alone forever, of course, and when pirates approach his island, he’s initially frightened, but he relaxes once he realizes it’s his friends coming to apologize for hurting his feelings. This beautifully illustrated parable about the value of self-reliance and solitude offers a comforting lesson in a whimsical, eye-catching package. - Copyright 2017 Booklist. School Library Journal - 08/01/2017 K-Gr 3—Sís's latest picture book fuses an episode from his childhood with the plot of Robinson Crusoe—a favorite novel when he was young. Sequential panels lead to full-bleed double spreads as the first-person accounts describe the way a group of five diverse friends play pirates in every conceivable setting, from a backyard tent to the bathtub. When the school costume party is announced, the collective choice is obvious, until Peter's mother suggests that he go as Crusoe. The ensuing drama—contrasting the boy's anticipation about wearing the lovingly crafted outfit with embarrassment as the friends (unfamiliar with the story) tease him—is one that will resonate with many readers. A dream sequence follows the boy's retreat to his room, where the bed becomes a boat, and he floats "in and out of hours, or maybe days." The artist's signature meticulously detailed watercolor and ink scenes become looser, stylized, the colors more saturated—think Matisse's Fauve period. Peter enters lush landscapes, a maze of tropical fruit and wild creatures, and nurturing green and blue scenes of exquisite beauty. He takes on the persona of his favorite protagonist, "owning" the costume at last. Ever on the lookout for pirates, he makes peace with his friends in a deeply satisfying conclusion. Visual references to earlier books, nods to Maurice Sendak, and a photograph with the author's note describing the incident that inspired this tale all provide depth and insight. VERDICT Sís's ability to represent and resolve the theater unfolding in children's minds is unparalleled. A brilliant adventure to share one-on-one or with a small group.—Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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