Follow me, Flo! by Jarvis

I fell in love with Jarvis' splashy art and goofy stories some time ago and although this one doesn't come up to my all-time favorite (that's a tie between Alan's big scary teeth and Hello, Hotdog) it's still a funny and delightful addition to any storytime repertoire.

Flo, a charming little yellow duckling, does NOT go with the flow. When the other little ducklings are lining up neatly and following the rules, she's chasing frogs and hiding at bedtime. One day, her patient (purple) Daddy Duck takes her on a trip but before they leave she gets a Serious Reminder about following him the whole way there. Daddy Duck sings a song to guide her, but Flo would rather sing her own song, a VERY high and VERY loud song. She's so busy singing and going her own way, that she gets wildly off track, chased by a fox, and ends up at a carnival!

Flo has a lot of fun at first, eating treats, riding the ferris wheel, and singing her new song, but then she sees the fox! Luckily, she hasn't forgotten Daddy Duck's "boring" song and it gets her safely back to Daddy, away from the duck, and just in time to see Auntie Jenna's new home. Flo has learned her lesson and starts acting like a good little duckling... in fact, she's so good she gets to lead next time and they go straight to the carnival!

Jarvis' splashy colors bounce across the pages of this oversized picture book, showing a charming little ducky and her loving family. Bright greens, golds, pinks, and reds show the lovely spring countryside and the exciting carnival. Caregivers will appreciate seeing naughty Flo get her comeuppance and learn that some rules are meant to be followed, while still keeping her own, individual flair.

Verdict: A wonderful new addition to storytime, be sure to come up with some fun tunes for the songs and get ready to squeal with terror when the fox pops up! Recommended.

ISBN: 9781536212709; Published March 2020 by Candlewick; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library