Not a Stick

PreS-Gr 1Portis follows up on her successful "Not a Box" (HarperCollins, 2007) with equally pleasing results. Young listeners will be treated to the imaginative world of a charmingly minimalist pig who appears to be holding an ordinary stick. Following each admonition, "Hey, be careful with that stick," the youngster insists on the following spread that "it's not a stick." Its true nature is then dramatically revealed through clever illustrations. Morphing from a fishing pole to a drum major's baton, a paintbrush, a barbell, a horse, a spear, and finally to a sword, this "Not-a-stick" is clearly a powerful key to other worlds. Portis's simple color palette and playful drawings with never a line out of place represent the best in children's illustration. Perfect for sharing aloud, "Not a Stick" will inspire youngsters to look for the magic in ordinary objects."Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI" Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Where Portis's "Not a Box" featured a plain brown wrapper, this winning sequel proffers a faux wood-grain cover. And where the earlier title featured a deceptively boxlike, hollow rectangle (which an inventive rabbit treated as a rocket or a race car), this follow-up introduces a little pig holding a long, forked object. An unenlightened voice offstage suggests, Hey, be careful with that stick. The pig corrects the false impression (It's not a stick) and demonstrates the item's many uses. Portis traces pig and plaything in a heavy black line on negative space, then superimposes jaunty blue line drawings that act as overlays to reveal the pig's imaginings. The pig stands astride the stick, and a rearing horse shape appears. The pig holds the stick at its midpoint and it becomes a paintbrush, aiming toward Vincent van Gogh's "Starry Night". Where the offstage warnings appear in white italics on a gray ground, implying a drab rejection of fantasy (Watch where you point that stick), the pig's statements are printed against a deep and dreamy blue. Portis repeats her previous formula down to the conclusion, where the pig calls the DIY toy my Not-a-Stick!, once again appealing to those who think outside the box. Ages up to 6. "(Jan.)" Copyright 2007 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.