Read the Book, Lemmings! by Ame Dyckman (review)

Crewman Foxy of the S. S. Cliff has been reading a book about lemmings, and he remarks to his ursine captain that they really don't jump off cliffs. A trio of lemmings, who just happen to be perched on the rail nearby, overhear only the "jump off cliffs" part of the remark and promptly jump into the water (thus diving off a Cliff, geddit?). Foxy fishes them out of the drink, points out their error, and encourages them to read the book and mend their ways. Once again, though, as he tells them not to jump off cliffs, they hear only what they want to hear and repeat their performance. Another rescue, another scolding, another admonition to read the book. But—come on!—lemmings can't read. Foxy then works on their literacy skills, they do read the book, and they won't jump off cliffs again. Next time, they fold the captain's newspaper into a glider and they fly off the Cliff. This is one giggly delight after another, from the whale-shaped cargo ship, to the nonsensical divide between literate fox and bear and illiterate lemmings, to the crowd-pleasing lemming leap that results from each iteration of the words "jump off cliffs." The lemmings themselves are scruffy little furballs who play right into stereotype by repeating themselves at each turn. The discordant color scheme of deep teal sea, coral sky, and bright yellow deck gear will show to great effect in a storytime setting, where audience shouts of "Don't jump off cliffs" will bring on the desired opposite result. EB