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Ooko has everything a fox could want: a stick, a leaf and a rock. Well, almost everything . . . Ooko wants someone to play with too! The foxes in town always seem to be playing with their two-legged friends, the Debbies. Maybe if he tries to look like the other foxes, one of the Debbies will play with him too. But when Ooko finally finds his very own Debbie, things don't turn out quite as he had expected! A quirky, funny, charmingly illustrated story about finding friendship and being true to yourself.
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Tundra Books (July 5, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1101918446
ISBN-13: 978-1101918449
Product Dimensions: 9 x 0.4 x 11.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #45,024 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #55 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Foxes & Wolves #393 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Dogs #1194 in Books > Children's Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Friendship, Social Skills & School Life > Friendship
Age Range: 3 - 7 years
Grade Level: Preschool - 2
So, I accidentally-on-purpose-and-without-remorse-but-still-sheepishly took it upon myself to expand my children's home library. Generally, this is not considered abnormal, but the direction I took is less "oh, this is a tried-and-true classic" and instead more "YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHICH PICTURE BOOK WILL RESONATE MOST SOUNDLY WITH THEM, BUY ALL THE THINGS!"Ooko rewarded this endeavor and then some. And although I am basically a glutton for young children's literature at this point, I am not without standards. When deciding whether to purchase a book, since hardcovers get pricey and I'm not exactly on par financially with Scrooge McDuck, I assess the following:â Illustrations. Whether black-and-white or full-color, stylized or realistic, the illustrations in a kids' book must be intriguing. They must spark imaginative thought and, at least in some way, be aesthetically appealing - ideally in a manner that sets it apart from others on the shelf. The color schemes in this book provide a very "refreshing" feel, and the full-page, colored illustrations create the difficult dilemma for children as to whether they want to keep taking in all the little details of the page or press on to see what Ooko does next.â Whimsy. With very few exceptions, I need my children's books to have some element of eccentricity, oddness, peculiarity, and basically anything that also makes my husband laugh during story time and ask me where I found such a book. Between deciding to act as an impostor, classifying all humans as "Debbies," and finding alternate uses for non-playable items he was previously given, Ooko's right on the mark. â Message. There are few things worse than phenomenally-illustrated, whimsical books that elicit internal groans from parents because they inadvertently send terrible messages - maybe bad behavior is just continuously rewarded, maybe the "moral" is that you should literally hand out your scales (pieces of your body!) to all the fish around you to get friends, maybe emotionally-abusive friendships are painted as normal... whatever the reason, those books can be tedious. Overall, Ooko can expose kiddos to the concept that being themselves without undergoing drastic changes is the best way to make genuine friends.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.I am always excited about the opportunities I receive to read advanced copies of picture books. I read middle grade books with my oldest daughter, but my younger girls still enjoy reading picture books. I was especially excited about Ooko because one of my twins loves foxes.Ooko was written and illustrated by Esme Shapiro. Ooko is a little fox, who has sticks to play with, but wants a friend. There are some funny moments that involve Ooko thinking that dogs are also foxes, and that humans are âdebbiesâ. Ooko tries to make himself look like the other âfoxesâ so that the âdebbiesâ will like him, but he discovers that he isnât as content with the life that the other âfoxesâ are living. Will Ooko ever find a friend who makes him happy?The illustrations are gorgeous. Iâm in love with Shapiroâs style, and Iâm ready to buy all the prints on her Etsy store. The illustrations are the perfect complement to this quirky and charming story. My girls loved seeing Ooko trying to make himself look like the other âfoxesâ.Ooko is a sweet story with a some nice messages about the importance of friendship and being authentic. The tone is friendly and upbeat, and I couldnât help but smile as we read through Ooko.I would absolutely recommend Ooko. My girls loved this book, and Iâm sure that we will be reading it many more times. They think that Ooko is very cute, and Iâm sure that âOh my cricketsâ is going to become a family catchphrase!
Esme Shapiro is a very talented artist/writer. In a brief and successful journey, Ooko finds what he's (or maybe he's a she?) been missing his whole little fox life. With fanciful illustrations and the best fox dialogue around, Shapiro takes the reader into the world and psyche of a carnivorous mammal with a yearning heart.
Disclaimer: I received this free book from NetGalley in exchange for an un-biased review.My first review of a childrenâs picture book! Ooko is a lonely little fox who only wants to find a friend. He thinks that by changing himself to suit others he can find someone who will love him. That doesnât work out so well and eventually he learns that he only needs to be himself to find a friend who is just like him.I love the message behind this simple story. His loneliness is heartbreaking, but his attempts to change are hilarious. Here the illustrations shine, the characters and surroundings are quirky and whimsical. His worldview and the way he describes the other creatures he sees are delightful. I particularly loved the way he talks about âthe Debbieâsâ. I showed this book to my seven year old daughter and she loved it as well. Itâs definitely for a younger reader, but I was pleased to see that itâs a little longer than the usual picture book, at 40 pages itâs just more story and picture to enjoy. I heartily recommend this cute little book.
My first grader has delightfully quirky taste in books and I confess, I picked this one up for the cover alone. To my amusement this was a really funny read. Shapiro's artwork is to die for but the story is awfully cute. Ooko just wants a friend and she (okay, I know the blurb says he but no where in the actual book was he gendered and my daughter defaults to she) tries some interesting ways to get one.If you're a parent who dreads story time because all your kids' reads are annoyingly princess filled and insipid, check out Ooko. If it doesn't break up the storytime routine with classic lessons presented in a fun way I don't know what will.Notes: ARC received via NetGalley.
Ooko
