Friday, March 27, 2020

Malo and the Merry-Go-Round by Maria Dek - ADVISABLE

Malo and the Merry-Go-Round by Maria Dek. PICTURE BOOK. Princeton Architectural Press, 2020. $18. 9781616898755

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Two animal best friends are supposed to make pickles together but one of them, Malo, decides to play instead of helping and heads off into the forest to find a merry-go-round. Along the way he refuses to help several animals who need him and when he does reach the playground, he realizes he isn’t very happy. 

The aesthetic of the book is very scandinavian and the matte style is gorgeous. The message about helping others and keeping commitments in order to feel a sense of happiness and satisfaction is a great lesson. I do think the story fell flat in many ways and was hard to fully engage with.  

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher

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