Dandy

It’s love vs. lawn care in this laugh-out-loud story by Dyckman (Wolfie the Bunny). When a lone dandelion appears in a lion father’s front yard, he’s determined to remove it. There’s just one problem: his daughter, Sweetie, has gotten there first. “Her name is Charlotte,” she says, patting the bloom. “She’s my best friend.” Egged on by friends and neighbors, Daddy hilariously tries to fell the weed with nunchakus, a jackhammer, a cannon, and more, but Sweetie foils his efforts at every turn. He finally has a clear shot when Sweetie heads to swim class, then realizes he can’t go through with it. It seems the weed will live—that is, until Daddy drops his shears, mangling it beyond repair. When the cub returns and discovers her drooping friend, her father shows Sweetie how to blow dandelion seeds around the yard, “dandy” consequences or no. Layered with handmade pencil textures, digital illustrations by Santoso (Wishtree) play up the drama of Daddy’s outsize emotions and outrageous attempts to expel the dandelion. A well-paced comic tale for all ages. Ages 4–8. [em]Author’s agent: Scott Treimel, Scott Treimel New York. Illustrator’s agent: Justin Rucker, Shannon Assoc. (Apr.) [/em]