Joseph Fipps

PreS-Gr 1—Five year olds frequently get into trouble for misbehaving, and little Joseph Fipps is no exception; he's somewhat harshly nicknamed "Gremlin" by his family for his shenanigans. When his mother scolds him yet again for dragging a ladder over to a tree to see a bird's nest, he blurts out that he wants a different mommy. Brought to tears by her suggestion that a walrus mother would suit him better, Joseph runs off to his favorite outdoor spot and imagines life at the North Pole with a loving and attentive Mommy Walrus and baby walruses. Bird chirping brings him out of his reverie. He rushes back to his real mother and drags her outside to show her the birds' nest. Godbout's airy vignettes of endearingly snub-nosed red-cheeked Joseph have a vintage old-timey feel and wonderfully portray his extensive range of emotions. His mother is generally depicted from the waist down, just as a small child might view a much taller adult. Despite the pastel-colored cheerfulness of the illustrations, a cold atmosphere permeates the story, as Joseph is mostly alone and his mother is never shown hugging or being affectionate to her little boy. While this tale captures some of the feelings of loneliness, powerlessness, and lack of understanding that children might experience, the absence of a definitive resolution and maternal comfort at the end feels confusing and unsatisfying and might be downright upsetting to young readers. —Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY