Tuesday, December 21, 2010

The Thingamabob by Il Sung Na

There seems to be an unlimited number of books with animals discovering an article of human apparel - mittens and underwear seem to be the favorites - and then coming up with humorous uses for it. Just when I thought there couldn't possibly be another book on this subject, along comes this scintillating gem!

A plump and delightful white elephant finds...a thingamabob. It's unexpected, surprising, and mysterious. His friends don't understand it, so he decides to experiment! Can it fly? Float? Hide him? Then, suddenly, he discovers exactly what this strange thingamabob is for...to stay dry!

The simple text points to the humor in each picture, adding a tongue-in-cheek accompaniment to the deliciously textured pictures that will have children rocking with laughter. I think my favorite part is the umbrellas on the endpapers. I want every one of them. So...umbrellaish!

Verdict: Recommended. Toddlers through teenagers will giggle, snicker, and howl at this slyly silly story.

ISBN: 9780375861062; Published March 2010 by Knopf; Borrowed from the library.

6 comments:

Kelly Jensen said...

Going to have to request this one - I have such a love for Il Sung Na's books. The illustrations are so gorgeous....and an elephant with an umbrella? I'm down with that.

Jennifer said...

You totally should - the elephant's expressions are simply priceless and I now desperately long for an umbrella collection to match those endpapers...

Kelly Jensen said...

Did you get the winter one? love it. love it. love it.

cannot wait to see this one!

Jennifer said...

the seasons one? no, but it's on my list. i ran out of budget back in november *pout*

Brimful Curiosities said...

When I hear the word thingamabob I'm reminded of Ariel in the Little Mermaid. It's a fun word to say and this book looks like fun as well. We'll have to try and locate a copy.

Jennifer said...

Yes, it's very fun, in a quiet way. Tell your librarian they should buy it! (-:)