I believe literary criticism is the great driving force of human ingenuity. As such, I occasionally write reviews of books I particularly enjoy.
Moo, Baa, La La La! by Sandra BoyntonMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Drawing upon the well worn literary tradition of farm animal compendiums with corresponding animal sounds, "Moo, Baa, La La La!" breathes new life into the familiar narrative with the insertion of wit, absurdity, and touches of the existential. Upon the reveal of the three singing pigs, the book takes a sharp turn into a collective first person with the memorable line, "'No, no,' you say, 'That isn't right!'" Then comes the introduction of the rhinoceros, an oft ignored animal in this pictorial tradition, once more challenging form and expectation. The juxtaposition of dogs who "woof" and dogs who "bow, wow, wow" continues to push form, calling into question the very distinction between these two brands of dog, or more accurately, placing emphasis on the experience of the read over the sensibility of animal-sound categorization. Upon reaching the final page, a whole menagerie stares back at the reader with the existential closer: "It’s quiet now. What do you say?" One waits with bated breath to see what the young readers among us might say. It is indeed quiet, until infant sounds fill the void, the very words of the final page given meaning, breaking the fourth wall.
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Llama Llama Zippity-Zoom by Anna DewdneyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
In this essential installment of the Llama Llama omnibus, red pajamas are given less literary and illustrative value. Rather, the emphasis is placed on the activities of a day on the playground. Onomatopoeia is used to incite energetic movements. Indeed, Llama Llama and his frequent companion, the anthropomorphized wildebeest Nelly Gnu, seem to dance across the page in a vivacious testament to the act of recreation. The work, in its lyricism, its vibrancy, and its decidedly anti-grandiloquence diction, is a spartan celebration of play.
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