Dude!

February 5, 2018
The versatile word dude can act as a question, a warning, or an exclamation of delight, and Reynolds (Creepy Pair of Underwear!) uses it all of these ways and more as the single spoken word of his story. A platypus and a beaver almost jump out of their board shorts when a shark surfaces in the waves behind them. “Duuuuude!” they shriek. But the shark wants to be friends, and it speaks their language: “Dude...?” it ventures. The beaver paddles ashore and returns with an ice-cream cone with sprinkles; the platypus offers the shark a spare surfboard, which is even better. “Dude!” they chorus, catching the same wave. Santat (After the Fall) pours on the special effects, and the shark’s massive body, double rows of teeth, and bathing suit (his tail fits through one leg, the other hangs empty) add danger-tinged comedy to every spread. It’s a story about welcoming the stranger, but the many dopey laughs and Santat’s panoply of goofy facial expressions deliver the message with sprinkles on top. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Paul Rodeen, Rodeen Literary Management. Illustrator’s agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House.

April 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 2-Two friends, a beaver and a platypus, have a big adventure in the sun and the surf. The largely visual story line repeatedly subverts readers expectations with sight gags. For example, the friends are excited to see a pelican in the sky until it poops on platypus' head. With the exception of the word splat for the pelican scene, the entire text of the book is either "dude" or "dudes" with different punctuation throughout. Working in tandem with the expressive illustrations, it is obvious that the single word can mean different things depending on the context. Fear overtakes the friends as they see a shark in the water. When the giant shark tries to approach, they paddle as fast as they can in the opposite direction. But when the shark catches up to them, he is crying and says, "dude...?" Quickly they all end up becoming good friends. VERDICT Score one for visual literacy with this wacky read-aloud adventure sure to make a splash in storytime and small group settings.-Robin Sofge, Prince William Public Library System, VA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 15, 2018
Once children can recognize and read the title, they will easily be able to navigate the rest of this book. "Dude!" is (almost) the only word uttered throughout the story. Sometimes it is printed in large capital letters, sometimes in diminutive lowercase. The word may be surrounded by a jagged speech bubble, stretched out with five U's, spoken by one or many, or decorated with sprinkles, but part of the fun of this picture book with graphic-novel overtones is interpreting the proper intonation from the context. A platypus and a beaver are the first two friends to call out to each other as they race to the beach, surfboards at the ready. After an encounter with sea-gull droppings (heralded with one of the few additional words: "SPLAT!"), a shark is spotted. It is cajoled with ice cream, so the nervous duo's chorus is soon voiced by an exultant trio. Santat varies the page design to pace the over-the-top emotions and action, employing diagonally framed panels, cameos, small insets, and full-bleed double-page spreads. Disaster occurs at the rocks, and if observant readers hadn't noticed the warning sign at the story's opening, subsequent readings will reveal this foreshadowing and other clever details. The three dudes resolve the damage, ultimately sharing a sweet denouement under the sunset. Surprises, mayhem, potty humor, sharks, and ice cream: What's not to like? (Picture book. 4-6)

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Starred review from March 15, 2018
Preschool-G *Starred Review* A platypus and a beaver head out for a day of surfing, and despite the warning signs posted on the rocky shore and an unexpected addition to their duo, they have a hilarious and rollicking adventure using just one word, over and over: Dude. The consummately entertaining story line encourages not judging a book by its cover (nor a shark by its fins), and recalls all the summer sweetness of making a new friend at the beach. And then there's the art. Caldecott medalist Santat makes the book shine with great skill in pacing and perspective, and the characters' expressions, the action-packed layout, and the dynamic fonts are a win-win-win. It's incredible how much emotion can be milked from a single well-illustrated word. They range from a thin black-lined dude? to a rainbow-colored DUUUDE! and the drama, humor, personalities, conflicts, and resolutions come through fantastically. From spot art on white pages to full-bleed spreads to comic-style panels, there's a lot to see, multitudes of meaning in a single syllable, a plethora of educational applicability, and oh so much fun to be had, dude.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2018
A platypus ("DUDE!") and a beaver ("DUDE!") hit the waves with their surfboards. When one spots a shark in the distance ("DUDE...?"), the surf buddies scramble for shore ("DUUUUUDE!"). "Dude" is a surprisingly malleable word, making it a good fit for a one-word (well, almost) yarn. The elastic facial expressions of the three main players in the colorful illustrations say everything the text can't.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)