Fluff and Billy

by Nicola Killen

Overview

A popular favorite, now in board!
Meet Fluff and Billy, two of the most irresistible, adorable penguins ever. They're best friends, and whatever Fluff does, Billy does too: climb, slide, swim, splash, run, and jump. Together, they have fun in their enchanting polar world—until something happens that rocks their friendship. Children—and parents too—will instantly recognize and relate to this familiar situation, and rejoice in how the penguin pals resolve their conflict.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781402797811
Publisher:	Sterling Children's Books
Publication date:	09/04/2012
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Nicola Killen completed a degree in Graphic Design, and began creating handmade cards. She later worked as an illustrator for magazines and newspapers. After working in design studios for seven years Nicola started the MA in Children's Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art. Her final artwork won Egmont's Best New Talent Award. Nicola's first children's book Not Me! was published in 2010 by Egmont UK, followed by Fluff and Billy. She lives in Cambridge, England.

Editorial Reviews

In Killen's (Not Me!) sophomore picture book, it's all fun and games until someone gets nailed in the chest with a snowball. Although the eponymous penguins could just as easily be friends as relatives, it's hard not to see their relationship as that of older and younger siblings, with smaller Billy, distinguished by a splash of yellow, mimicking Fluff's every action as they cavort on the ice. "‘I'm climbing up!' said Fluff. ‘I'm climbing up!' said Billy. ‘I'm sliding down!' said Fluff, ‘I'm sliding down!' said Billy." When an overexcited Billy takes things too far ("‘I'm rolling a snowball!' said Fluff. ‘I'm throwing a snowball!' said Billy"), a rift forms between the two, though it's nothing a few good-intentioned tickles can't solve. Killen's watercolors create a pared-down Antarctic landscape defined by judicious use of pale blue—splotches of paint suggest water droplets and snow, zigzags hint at far-off mountains, and halftone-style dots create shadows beneath Fluff and Billy's webbed feet and bulky bodies. Her beaky penguins are adorably childlike in their interactions, movements, and enthusiasm in this sweetly simple story. Ages 3–6. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

In a bit of elemental relationship-modeling, two active young penguins play together until a short-lived huff brings a temporary halt to the fun. Echoing the pattern in Mirra Ginsburg's Chick and the Duckling (1972), where Fluff leads (" ‘I'm sliding down!' said Fluff"), Billy follows (" ‘I'm sliding down!' said Billy"). The pattern breaks when Billy throws a snowball that clobbers Fluff and results in a silent, back-to-back standoff. Being different in size and coloration, the two playmates are easy to tell apart, but Killen (Not Me!, 2010) leaves both their gender and their relationship (they could be either sibs or friends from different families) indeterminate. The two chicks cavort against Antarctic-white and icy blue backgrounds, her watercolors deliciously liquid in the swimming and splashing scenes. Spotting a tear in Billy's eye, the larger Fluff finally plays peacemaker with a tummy tickle that dissolves into an entire closing spread of big HA HAs and HEE HEEs. A little forced at the end, but young children will recognize the issue and require no encouragement to chime in with Billy's lines. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews