I Want That Nut!, illustrated and written by Madeline Valentine
Reviewed by: Brian Wilson
Children
Title: I Want That Nut!
By: Valentine, Madeline
Published: 2017
Call #: JPicture Valen.M
This exuberant and funny sharing book begins before author/illustrator Madeline Valentine gives us the title page. A mouse and chipmunk are having a great time playing chase and hide & seek. On the title page we see an acorn fall. We flip the page and the story officially begins with the furry creatures hearing and then seeing the yummy nut. What follows is absolutely amusing with the wildly expressive friends trying to be deferential (“You take it.” “No, you take it.” “I insist.” “You really should take it.”) with the chipmunk finally saying “Okay. I’ll take it.” and racing off with the cherished food. I love Mouse’s expression of disbelief and shock when Chipmunk runs off the page. So begins a tug of war between the two characters. They start playing tricks on one another in order to obtain the nut. It all leads to a surprise ending. And then another surprise! Valentine’s vibrant art does an excellent job capturing the story’s many humorous turns. The body language of the characters is expertly handled by the talented Valentine. A fun delight.
