FICTION

Boa's Bad Birthday

by Jeanne WILLIS
illus. by Tony Ross. 32p. Andersen. Apr. 2014. Tr $16.95. ISBN 9781467734509; ebk. $12.95. ISBN 9781467734554.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 2—Who doesn't look forward with anticipation to a birthday party and all the thoughtful presents their friends will bring? Boa the constrictor is no exception. As each guest brings a gift, Boa is consistently disappointed: Orangutan gives Boa a piano, but he has no fingers. Monkey brought sunglasses, but Boa has no way to wear them. Though the gifts bring disappointment, Boa's mother reminds him to be gracious. In a twist, it turns out that Dung Beetle gives the best present of all. Illustrations were done in pen, ink, and watercolor in Ross's trademark bright, bold style. The text and images are perfectly balanced and enticingly draw the reader's eye to the next page. A stellar choice for students to learn the fine art of graciously accepting gifts.—Janene Corbin, Rosebank Elementary School, Nashville, TN
Sincerely given birthday gifts prove disappointing for reasons obvious to Boa. (Mittens: he has no hands! A soccer ball: he has no feet.) But Dung Beetle's gift--a ball of "You Know What" containing a hidden seed--grows into something wonderfully appropriate, reminding Boa that it's the thought that counts. Ross's expressive illustrations add humor to a delicate question of etiquette.
Reviewed by Janene Corbin , Mar 01, 2014

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