Alternative cartoonist Millionaire (Maakies
; Sock Monkey
) planted himself firmly in the children's section with his last book, That Darn Yarn!
The seventh in a series that began with five adult-oriented books, Little and Large
continues the children's vein of Yarn
. It shares characters with the first book, and is written with the same interconnected plot technique that made Yarn!
stand out from other children's books. The first story, about a spider whose home is destroyed when a tree is chopped down, is in color, while the second, about what the wood from the tree becomes, is black-and-white—and the two mesh nicely in alternating panels as the spider explores possible homes in a weathervane, a dollhouse ("I'm crazy about those curtains!"), and a goose-wagon. Millionaire's deft line drawings and soft colors are the perfect counterpoint to the bizarre workings of his mind, and evoke a world in which geese pull wagons, sock monkeys wear hats—and spiders always find a place to call home. Children who enjoy Shel Silverstein or Mo Willems should enjoy Millionaire's last two books—though parents should be warned to stay away from the first five, which live up to Millionaire's alternative reputation. (Sept.)
