Sylvie

May 18, 2009
When Sylvie, an inquisitive and impulsive young flamingo, asks her mother why they are pink, she’s told it is because they eat shrimp. This response triggers both Sylvie’s imagination and appetite. Sampling green palm leaves, purple grapes and chocolate ice cream (“She thought she’d look yummy in chocolate!”), she turns those colors. Sylvie’s nibbling become more adventurous and her transformations all the sillier: she assumes the stripes of a beach towel and the paisley print of a swimsuit. But all this wreaks havoc on her stomach. Now exhibiting various colors and patterns simultaneously, she decides to resume her shrimp diet. Sattler’s punchy text and expressive paintings convey Sylvie’s ample personality with panache (the leggy flamingo strikes bold—and rather coquettish—poses as she delights in each of the colors) against paint-smeared beachy backdrops. Though she finally decides to be true to herself, the heroine displays her spunkiness at the story’s end, as her tail duplicates the stripes of the rainbow lollipop she indulges in for dessert, leaving kids with a fittingly whimsical parting image. Ages 3–6.

April 1, 2009
PreS-Gr 2-"Why are we pink?" a young flamingo asks her mother. When she learns that her coloration is a result of the shrimp she eats, Sylvie gets an idea to experiment with what she consumes. Ice cream, kites, bathing suitsnothing is off-limits for the adventurous bird. Sure enough, she turns brown, looking "yummy in chocolate," and "rather stripy" after eating a towel. Kids familiar with a certain hungry caterpillar may see what's comingSylvie gets a stomachache. It's only when she rejoins her flock and resumes her diet of shrimp that she feels better, though there is a surprise ending that will surely induce giggles from kids. Sattler's art steals the show; the colors are eye-popping and vibrant, right to the swirling bright endpapers. As Sylvie changes colors the background changes hues as well. This title is sure to create storytime magic, especially when paired with Jeremy Tankard's "Grumpy Bird" (Scholastic, 2007)."Laura Lutz, Queens Borough Public Library, NY"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2009
Preschool-G When Sylvie, a young flamingo, is told by her mother that she and each member of her family are pink because they eat pink shrimp, she decides to sample items on the beach made up of other colors to see what the effect will be. Palm leaves turn her green, grapes purple, a piece of paisley swimsuit turns her paisley, and so on. Although she is pleased with the results, a stomachache convinces her to return to being pink like the rest of her family. (Although the final page reveals that she doesnt entirely give up eating illicit foods.)The delightful illustrations showing long-legged, expressive Sylvie in her many permutations against colorful abstract backdrops give this the feel of a fashion show. These scenes are alternated with sequences of Sylvie finding the sources for her new looks along the beach, and the results create a pleasant rhythm. Reminiscent of A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon (1998) and Olivia (without the attitude) by Ian Falconer (2000).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2009
When flamingo Sylvie's mom tells her that flamingos are pink because it's the color of their food, Sylvie tests the you-are-the-color-you-eat theory. After a day of sampling everything from green palm leaves to paisley bathing suits, she feels unwell and returns to eating shrimp. The illustrations featuring expressive and colorful flamingos on richly textured backgrounds beautifully bolster an otherwise thin story.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)