Bill in a China Shop - Softcover

Both author and illustrator of this very 'refined' book live in the USA. This is the first book for either of them to be published in the UK.

PreSchool-Grade 3-An elegantly dressed bull carefully enters a china shop and shows why the phrase upon which the title plays is so apt. "Frightened by the jarring sound/of china crashing to the ground,/he stumbled toward some figurines/and smashed them into smithereens." A sneering clerk cannot get Bill out fast enough, but when three ladies enter the store, they take pity on the animal and scold the man. They feel sorry for Bill, who is obviously upset, but it's not totally convincing that they would side with him after all of the destruction he has caused. Still, this twist makes for a pleasing ending as the bull gets to host his own tea party, with the women as his guests. The story is slight, though the rhymed text flows smoothly. It's the pen-and-ink watercolors that inject strong doses of humor. Bill's bulging body contrasts with his delicately small hooves, and his tan-and-white head stands out against the grays and blacks of his fine clothing. The bovine's facial expressions perfectly capture his carefulness, his fear as he tries to avoid disaster, and his dismay when things fall apart around him. The humans are enjoyable caricatures, but Bill is the star of the show, and even kids not familiar with the clich‚ will grin at this bull who wants to be dainty.
Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR
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