Woolly and Me

Foreword Starred Review

With whimsical illustrations, a child describes the many ways in which her woolly mammoth is one of the world’s best pets, accompanying her everywhere and sharing her daily activities with keen enthusiasm and loving gentleness.

 

And when her mammoth gets a little frightened on a roller coaster ride or in her dark bedroom at night our brave narrator comforts her pet and bucks up his courage. On the last page of this warm and reassuring picture book, we see at last that Woolly is a stuffed animal leading us to ask, who has been comforting whom?

 

Fountas & Pinnell Level J

 

Color throughout.

Available wherever books are sold.

 

REVIEWS:

 

From Foreword

Starred Review: A little girl and her devoted woolly mammoth go about their day in this charming tale of friendship, imagination, and enjoying life’s simple pleasures. They shop for groceries, visit the fair, practice ballet, and paint pictures together. This is a simple narrative with understated humor, in which soft illustrations lend a vintage feel to the entertaining challenges of fitting Woolly into a bathtub, fixing his shaggy hair, or sharing a pasta dinner with a rather large, tusked mammal.

 

From Publishers Weekly

Spoiler Alert! The closing revelation that Woolly is a stuffed toy (“Some people might not think he’s real…”) only goes to show how large a presence, sometimes literally, a treasured stuffed pal can have in a child’s imaginative life.

 

From School Library Journal

PRES-GR 1—Belgian artist Gréban uses an imaginary woolly mammoth to visit the trials and joys of an oversize pet. A small blonde child narrates the pair’s daily tasks and special activities like ballet class and a fair. Despite poor spaghetti management, Woolly’s assets include that he is already toilet trained and is not afraid of monsters as long as he’s in the top bunk. The witty and engaging paintings capture each absurdity, adorning the simple text with spirit. Woolly totes grocery bags and the girl with his tusks, and uses hair curlers during grooming. VERDICT This gambol’s only drawback is that it has numerous forerunners. An appealing but nonessential addition.