Don't Squish the Sasquatch! by Kent Redeker, illustrated by Bob Staake


Don't Squish the Sasquatch is the newest book from illustrator bob Staake and is written by Kent Redeker. While there will never be another Richard Scarry, Staake's kooky, jam-packed, busy illustrations come close for this day and age. While I could only find one interior illustration for Don't Squish the Sasquatch, click here to read my reviews of other books illustrated by (and some also written by) Bob Staake.


















Don't Squish the Sasquatch is short and silly and Redeker's television background (he created Higglytown Heroes and wrote for several other shows) comes through in this fast paced book. The story starts at the endpapers as we see Señor Sasquatch waitng at the bus stop. As Señor Sasquatch boards Mr Blobule's bushe says, "I hope it doesn't get too crowded. I do not like to get squished!" Don't miss the advertisements above the windows of the bus on this page! Of course things don't go as hoped for and Señor Sasquatch soon finds himself increasingly squished by a strange series of creatures. Miss Elephant Shark, Mr Octo-Rhino and Miss Goat-Whale are but a few of the huge, fantastically illustrated creatures who board the bus, squishing Señor Sasquatch in his seat in the back. Finally, the packed bus and the bumpy city streets are too much for Señor Sasquatch. A four pages spread shows the squealing Señor Sasquatch and the surprised passengers, opening to reveal a big "kablooey!" Señor Sasquatch is flat out on the ground and everyone wonders what they can do for them. Mr Blobule says, there's only "one thing to do . . . WE MUST SMOOCH THE SASQUATCH!" This leads to some silly smooching and a happy Señor Sasquatch until Mr Blobule suggests a GROUP HUG. . . 

Besides the fantastical creatures, Don't Squish the Sasquatch is filled with silly words that are fun to say. Younger readers will be tickled no end my this book and older readers, like my seven year old, will enjoy reading it on their own or together with you. As we sat on the couch to read, I thought I was going to do all the work, but when my son saw that the text alternated colors, with Mr Blobule's words in red and everyone else's in different colors, he was raring to share in the reading, which I love.


Not from Don't Squish the Sasquatch, but a superb spread from Look! A Book!. A great look and find with rhyming clues, this book is excellent for emerging readers and very fun. Look! Another Book! comes out in December of this year.



Source: Review Copy from Publisher

Popular posts from this blog

Fox + Chick: The Sleepover and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier

Be a Tree! by Maria Gianferrari illustrated by Felicita Sala

Under Earth, Under Water by Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizieliński, 112 pp, RL: ALL AGES