Stay Close to Mama

by Toni Buzzeo, Mike Wohnoutka (Illustrator)

Overview

A warm read aloud for curious children taking their first steps into the jungle of the world.

In the wide, shining world there is so much to see, and Twiga is curious. But Twiga's tall, tall Mama wants her baby to stay close, stay safe from the dangers that lurk near each irresistible sweet smell and sparkling sight that Twiga finds.

With lyrical text and enchanting illustrations, this story of a mother's love will soothe and delight readers of all ages.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781423134824
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	03/13/2012
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.30(w) x 11.26(h) x 0.37(d)
Lexile:	AD530L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Toni Buzzeo is a children's book author and reviewer and retired school library media specialist. She speaks at national, state, and regional library and reading conferences and does author visits at schools across the country. Among her many books are My Bibi Always Remembers and Just Like My Papa, companions to this book, and the Caldecott Honor-winning and New York Times bestselling One Cool Friend, illustrated by David Small. She lives in Massachusetts and invites you to visit her online at tonibuzzeo.com.

Mike Wohnoutka grew up in Spicer, Minnesota. His dad, an engineer, would bring home reams of paper with highway plans on one side. Mike filled the blank side of the sheets with drawings of race cars, snowmobiles, baseball players, superheroes, everything he was interested in. In high school, his art teacher encouraged him to pursue art as a career. He graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a B.F.A. in illustration. Mike has published books with Random House, Dutton, Clarion, and Holiday House. He enjoys visiting schools and talking to students about illustrating children's books. He currently resides in Minneapolis with his wife and two children, and he invites you to visit him online at mikewohnoutka.com.

Editorial Reviews

Like all babies, Twiga the giraffe is curious. He hears, smells, or sees something new and off he gallops, oblivious to the anxieties of his “tall, tall mama,” who knows that predators are everywhere on the savanna: “No, little Twiga. Stay close, stay safe.” There’s no doubt that readers and their parents will instantly see themselves in this loving but ongoing conflict over the need to explore and the need to protect, and they’ll undoubtedly find the two characters adorable and reassuring. But Buzzeo (One Cool Friend) and Wohnoutka’s (Can’t Sleep Without Sheep) execution falls short in key respects. The savanna looks more like a cheery local meadow than a hot, “dusty plain,” and this geographic de-clawing lowers the life-and-death stakes considerably. Furthermore, the writer and illustrator are at odds over whether Twiga ever understands how much danger he’s in (Buzzeo suggests yes, Wohnoutka seems to indicate no). Because the book deprives readers of a strong point of view, the scenes lack comedic or dramatic tension. Ages 1–5. Agent: Stefanie Von Borstel, Full Circle Literary. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"Readers and their parents will instantly see themselves in this loving but ongoing conflict over the need to explore and the need to protect, and they'll undoubtedly find the two characters adorable and reassuring."—Publishers Weekly

"Wohnoutka's large, almost impressionistic paintings grant a rich glimpse of the broad savanna and its denizens."—School Library Journal

"Written with a storyteller's ear for cadence and repetition, the text has a sense of immediacy. Nicely composed and pleasing in their use of rounded forms and line, the broad double-page illustrations show up well from a distance. A good choice for reading aloud."—Booklist

From the Publisher

PreS-K—Despite his mother's reminders to "Stay close, stay safe," young Twiga (Swahili for "giraffe") constantly strays toward whichever sight, sound, or smell catches his attention. His inquisitiveness is not diminished by stinging ants, a tumble in crocodile-infested waters, or a close call with a cheetah. He ultimately snags the fruit of a tasty-smelling sausage tree and returns to Mother. At sunset, he looks out to the horizon and the text states, "And Twiga is so curious." The author's concluding notes describe giraffes' dislike of water and their inquiring nature despite their shyness. Readers also learn that the favored fruit actually smells like bats. Wohnoutka's large, almost impressionistic paintings grant a rich glimpse of the vast savanna and its denizens.—Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA

School Library Journal

A young giraffe repeatedly lands in dangerous situations when his curiosity gets the best of him. Concerned mama giraffe knows many threats exist on the African savanna, but her little Twiga ("giraffe" in Swahili) "is so curious." The "tall, tall mama…leans close and whispers a warning, / No, little Twiga. Stay close, stay safe." Twiga's keen senses prove irresistible. He hears music in a thorny tree, sees sparkly water and smells the delicious fruit of the sausage tree. Each time he approaches the attractive object, a predator or serious discomfort--hyena, stinging ants, crocodile, cheetah--looms near. The clueless Twiga always manages to move onto the next pursuit just in time. Mama giraffe is often shown in the background looking worried. But Twiga, other than in the moment the ants crawl onto his nose, never learns the important lesson that being careful will surely save his life. Somehow all is forgiven after Twiga grabs the sweet fruit and returns to his mama…at least until the next time. Overall there are many elements that seem off: the contradictory message, the sometimes-precious tone of the text and the disconnect between the textual description of the setting and what is shown in Wohnoutka's illustrations. The text describes "tall brown grass" and a "dusty plain," but the full-bleed spreads show mostly lush green landscapes dotted with flowers. Pass on this muddled effort. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews