Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed [ハードカバー]

Maybe it's because I love every other book by Mo Willems, or maybe it's because I went to a book signing for this book, or maybe it's because I'm a little in love with Mo, but I thought this book was adorable.

In a world where no one would be caught in public in anything more than their birthday suit, one mole rat dares to defy social tradition and don clothes. One mole rat stands against a social order of injustice where a shirt and shoes won't get you service, where ruffles and lace make you overdressed for even the most formal occasion, where flip-flops are too dressy to meet the Grand Pumba. I'll stop there before I get really carried away.

With classic Mo wit and wisdom, this book made me laugh and want to play dress-up. The anti-Emperor's New Clothes, this book was a delight.

I love Mo Willems and the books he writes. I love that there are children's writers out there that write books for the sake of being silly, because really, couldn't we all use a good laugh!? The title of the book alone, and the fact that I am a Mo fan, made me buy this book the minute it came out. I could not wait to see what he was going to do with a topic for a book about naked mole rats. The fun started immediately when he writes, "No shirt. No shoes. Service." A great homage to a familiar sign.

In typical Mo fashion, the book is silly, geared towards kids who like to laugh, and parents who like to read books to kids who enjoy this type of humor. Our friend Wilbur, who is supposed to fall in line like all the other naked mole rats in his colony, is a rebel who likes to wear clothes. And this is where the trouble begins for poor Wilbur. One sarcastic mole rat suggests he opens a clothing store more as an after thought to make Wilbur feel stupid, and sure enough, that is EXACTLY what Wilbur does. The mole rats try convince him to take off his duds and go commando, even summoning the oldest and greatest grand-poobah of the tribe in hopes that Wilbur sees the light. I won't give away the ending, but it is safe to say, this is a great book about being true to yourself despite all the peer pressure that surrounds you.

Why did I not give my beloved Mo five stars? I wished he had made the story a little bit longer to develop the character of Wilbur and added a bit more humor. We wanted to know more about Wilbur and how he came to wear clothing when all the other naked mole rats did not, and we wanted a reason to cheer for him in his pursuit of a clothing not-optional lifestyle. We never warmed up to Wilbur like we did with the Pigeon in Mo's "Pigeon" series. It is a fun book with a cute concept, but I think the "Pigeon" books are a little funnier. My 8 year old son thought so too. We read and re-read the "Pigeon" books A LOT, but he has not asked to hear this story again and we have had the book two weeks. There were not as many laugh out loud parts to this book as there are in the "Pigeon" books, but it is still funny, and there are still plenty of parts in the book to love. His illustrations continue to be great and really capture the spirit of the book. If you like Mo, you will like this book.

Also of note: Amazon has this listed as a book for the 9-12 year old age range. I don't think they chose the correct range. I would say the book is meant for kids ages 4-10, and of course, all adults! I can't imagine a child much older than 10 who is reading chapter books finding the book as appealing as a younger child.

I found this book in a round about sort of way. I am not familiar with Mo Willems other works, so he as the author was not a deciding factor for me. The reason that I decided to purchase this book is because my three-year-old daughter's best friend is a stuffed naked mole rat, and I could not pass up an opportunity to have a book with one of her favorite critters as the subject.

This book is such a joy; it never gets tired. My husband and I have read it over and over again to our daughter for weeks now and we all enjoy it as much as the first time we read it. It's story about being yourself and being willing to try new things pairs wonderfully with the charming illustrations.