Mario Makes a Move (review)

Mario the squirrel loves to come up with "amazing moves," such as "Tail, Don't Fail," "Bowling Ball," "Super Looper," and his big move, the "Amazing Amazer." While the last astounds Mario's family ("'Astonishing!' said his grandpa. 'Alarming!' said his auntie. 'Aaaaa!' said his cousins, who didn't know words'"), it fails to impress pal Isabelle, who has her own amazing move. Fortunately, a disheartened Mario is cheered when Isabelle asks to learn his special move, and the two then combine in a duo. Although the plot is slight, the essence of it—wanting recognition for a special talent—rings true, and many kids will empathize with Mario's need to amaze and with his search for a skill that will set him apart from the crowd. McElmurry's succinct text and the snappy dialogue between Mario and Isabelle make this a fine choice not only for a standard readaloud session but also as a possible readaloud for two voices. The autumnal-toned gouache illustrations are as crisply composed and amusing as the text, and McElmurry adds humorous penciled diagrams on graph paper for the squirrels' intricate moves. Mario and Isabelle (and the other critters in their forest milieu, including an inexplicably bonnet-clad bear) are cute but not saccharine in their rendering. Ending the book is a list of squirrel traits under the heading "If You Are a Squirrel," including such tidbits as "You have four front teeth that never stop growing." Share this with kids, then hand them some graph paper and stand back as they document their own "amazing moves."