Imogene's Antlers [ハードカバー]

I was surprised to see this book for 4 and up - it is loved by my daughters from 2 up. It is a lovely, fun and well illustrated story about Imogene who wakes up one day to find that she has grown a pair of antlers. These are not small and discrete, but a full spread of them. And so this is how Imogene handles her day - with great fun.

Her mother is not so convinced and spends her time collapsing, IMogenes brother Norman discovers that she has been transformed into a rare form of miniature elk. Imogene loves having antlers, she can feed the birds, play the piano - although getting dressed is difficult, but the cook says she will be fun to decorate come christmas.

Lovey whimsical illustrations in a a very 50's style which appeal to me for this sort of story. There is a good amount of detail in them which is I think the great appeal for young readers. There is a marmalade cat and a rangy old dog which appear here in there too.

Highly recommended reading for adults and children

"On Thursday, when Imogene woke up, she found she had grown antlers." So begins award winning author and illustrator, David Small's silly, funny, very charming story. Imogene has quite a day trying to get dressed, walking through doorways and under chandeliers. And she finds her antlers are useful too, for drying laundry and feeding birds. Her family is puzzled, the doctor can't find anything wrong, her school principal has no advice and her brother thinks she's turning into a rare miniature elk. Everyone's upset but Imogene. After dinner, Imogene goes to bed, dreaming of her very unusual day. "On Friday, when Imogene woke up, the antlers had disappeared." Her family is overjoyed to see her back to her normal self, until she walks into the room..... Imogene's Antlers is a magical story that's perfect for kids 4-8 years old. The delightful, simple text is secondary to Mr Small's wonderful, expressive illustrations and youngsters will laugh out loud as they watch Imogene and her family's antics as they get through the day. Imogene's Antlers is a classic that will be enjoyed for generations to come and a MUST for all home libraries!

Like all great children's illustrators, David Small has his good books and his mediocre books. His good books (like "The Gardener" and the recent "The Friend") are fabulous, as would be expected. His mediocre books (which I won't mention by name but that are bound to happen to everyone once in a while) are still good reading but they won't blow you away. "Imogene's Antlers" falls into neither the good nor the mediocre category. It falls into the "Extraordinarily Fantastic" category. It's just that great.

One day little Imogene (last name unknown) wakes up to find that she has grown a full set of antlers out of her head. Imogene isn't particularly perturbed by this discovery, finding it to be little more than a mild annoyance when she attempts to dress and leave her room. Her family, on the other hand, doesn't like it one bit. Still, when the doctor comes he can't find anything at all wrong with Imogene and the school principal, "glared at Imogene but had no advice to offer". Imogene lives in a kind of old fashioned household and her family's servants are pleased with the change. Lucy the kitchen maid hangs towels on the antlers while the cook, Mrs. Perkins, lets Imogene feed the birds with her donut strewn head. Even the construction of large hats doesn't help and so Imogene goes to bed. The next morning the antlers are gone and everyone is pleased. Until they see her newest sprouting.

I was first introduced to this l'il number through that incredible bit of children's programming, "Reading Rainbow" long ago. The book read well on television and it reads even better in one's lap. Small's pictures, which are sometimes a little too sketchy and haphazard, are perfect in this book. Not only does the tale contain a fabulous surprise ending, but it's a great storyline. Nothing particularly unpleasant ever happens to Imogene and it's her blasé way of going about her day that makes her character all the more appealing. Small's text and pictures compliment one another perfectly. Also, adults may find themselves learning new words like "milliner" in the course of reading this book to their children. Kids reading the book will love how Imogene's mother is prone to fainting every other minute (while her grandfather seems bemused by the whole scene). Kids will also enjoy discovering clues to Imogene's latest transformation in the picture where the girl wakes up without the antlers.

This book would pair brilliantly with Steven Kellogg's "The Mysterious Tadpole". Both books deal with interesting children in extraordinary situations. And both have a similar surprise ending that include shots of chagrined parents. If you're planning a storytime, these would work well together. Alone, "Imogene's Antlers" is best viewed as a classic picture book. I'm sad that it never won an award of any sort, but that's just the way it goes sometimes. I urge you to pick up your own copy and flip through it whenever you have a chance. Few books can really be called "timeless". This is one of the few.