Stickler Loves the World
(A Stickler Story #1)

Stickler delights in his surroundings and invites readers to revel in their own fresh perspective on the world....A gleeful take on the great outdoors.

Smith again explores a world of friendly monsters, talking animals, and personified inanimate objects, here celebrating childlike curiosity, wonder, and appreciation.

The message here is not just to find the beauty in the world but to relish in its absolute weirdness and wondrous possibilities. —The Bulletin

K-Gr 2--Stickler, who first appeared in A Gift for Nana, gets its own picture book. Stickler is a strange creature from the dark forest. It certainly looks odd, with eight eyes, an oversized nose, and branchy hair, but Stickler is not the least bit scary. In fact, it is full of joy and wonder at the world around it and can serve as an inspiration for all to look upon their everyday surroundings with fresh eyes. This includes a space being Stickler encounters one day in the forest while it gathers its absolutely most favorite item: sticks! Stickler guides the space being through the forest, showing it the beauty of the sun, flowers, waves, and fish in a nearby waterway, as well as the feel of wind and the wonder of rocks. When Stickler adjusts the new creature's space visor to better see the colors of a sunset, Stickler is surprised to find that it was its friend Crow, with an empty tin of peas stuck on his head, all along! Though Crow could not see all Stickler described firsthand, Stickler's excitement and enthusiasm for the wonders of the forest give him a new appreciation for the beauty surrounding him. Illustrations are an interesting combination of painting techniques used to give the pictures real-world texture while additional pencil drawings are rendered digitally. Illustration colors include gentle pastels that contrast nicely against the bursts of colors from flowers, trees, and the night sky. VERDICT A delightful book intended to encourage readers to appreciate the simple beauty of everyday things, this selection would make a great addition to a picture book collection.--Jennifer LaBurre

The eponymous protagonist of this wonder-oriented picture book, who appeared previously in Smith's A Gift for Nana, has eight googly eyes, a round twiggy body, bat-like ears, and a positive mental attitude that's off the charts. After running down a list of favorite things, Stickler effuses: "Our world has some pretty weird stuff in it!... Oh, to see it all anew. Wouldn't that be amazing?" When a seeming visitor wearing a "cutting-edge space helmet" appears, Stickler immediately takes up a tour-guide role, ignoring clues that the being is actually a bird stuck in an empty tin can. Smith, through Stickler, does the planet proud: elaborately textured oil paint, gesso, and cold wax spreads make sunbeams feel warmly welcoming, huge stones look poetically weather-beaten ("Behold! The joy of ROCKS"), and helicopter seed pods seem like a revelation ("Then there are THESE THINGS dancing for us"). The visitor is eventually revealed to be Stickler's pal Crow, who seems genuinely transformed by Stickler's openhearted joie de vivre-- "You really did open my eyes." Centering irrepressible joy that's a force of nature itself, the work lovingly portrays an "amazing... weird... wonderful" world that's worth experiencing anew. Ages 4-8. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Aug.)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

“Friendship! Happiness! World peace! Maple syrup!” A buoyant, bristly ode to joy.