The Things

by Petronela Dostalova, Petronela Dostalova (Illustrator)

Overview

Thing leads a simple life with its friends, Cactus and Moose the Shadow Puppet... until the day Thing sees Other Thing through the telescope! How will Thing react, and what will happen when Moose the Shadow Puppet suddenly disappears? A quirky story about how generosity, understanding and tolerance can lead to true friendship.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781786281890
Publisher:	Child's Play-International
Publication date:	09/01/2019
Series:	Child's Play Library
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.88(w) x 9.88(h) x 0.25(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Petronela Dostalova was born in the former Czechoslovakia. She grew up in a little village called Borsa where she was surrounded by woods and vineyards. At the age of eighteen Petronela decided to live and study in Suffolk where she received her Arts Degree. Soon after graduation she decided to enroll onto the MA Children's Book Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art. She currently lives in scenic Tattingstone with her partner Dan and dog Haribo.

Petronela Dostalova was born in the former Czechoslovakia. She grew up in a little village called Borsa where she was surrounded by woods and vineyards. At the age of eighteen Petronela decided to live and study in Suffolk where she received her Arts Degree. Soon after graduation she decided to enroll onto the MA Children's Book Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art. She currently lives in scenic Tattingstone with her partner Dan and dog Haribo.

Editorial Reviews

10/25/2019

PreS-Gr 2-Thing has a best friend named Cactus and another best friend who is a shadow puppet named Moose. Sometimes it hurts being friends with prickly Cactus, and Moose only visits when the light is on. One day Thing looks out the window and notices an Other Thing going for a swim. At first he is suspicious of Other Thing, until he discovers that there may be a possibility of making a new friend. This cleverly humorous book features many scenes set against white background. The brightly colored characters are round and expressive and are fun to observe as they interact and engage in various activities. The wry text is broken up into small, easy to interpret scenes. The illustrations capture comical twists that are not fully explored in the dialogue. Dostalova captures the stages of a new and budding friendship making it a relatable story for all children. VERDICT This is a great read that encourages children not to make assumptions about others and to be open to forging new friendships.-Deanna Smith, Pender County Public Library, NC

School Library Journal

2019-06-25
Two Things overcome mistrust to become friends.

A red Thing—smiley, bean-shaped, and bespectacled—lives a solitary existence. It has two friends, a cactus and a moose shadow puppet. The cactus is nice, if a bit hard to hug, and Moose is friendly but prone to disappear. Thing also apparently doesn't know what it looks like: "Am I red all over?" it asks Cactus. "I wish I could see in the broken mirror." But one day Thing looks out the window to the beach and sees an Other Thing, identical except for its sea-green tint. Thing is immediately concerned, deciding that "Other Thing doesn't look like us. Other thing has big floppy ears like these. Other Thing wears silly clothes. Just like these." (Thing points to its own floppy ears and silly clothes.) Thing decides that "It is definitely a most dangerously dangerous Other Thing!" But when Moose disappears again, Thing goes in search of it, and Other Thing offers comfort. That's all it takes for the two to become lifelong friends. The Things have a certain strange cuteness about them, but this is an extremely rudimentary and uneven attempt to explore xenophobia and prejudice. The lack of significant character development and the absurdly simple resolution to an almost nonexistent conflict mar its success, especially with the undeveloped broken-mirror metaphor.

Clumsy but not charmless. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews