Stuck Inside

November 15, 2020
Cooped up indoors, a child and a dog track down a broad array of objects. Toby, a small gray dog with white and black highlights and fitted with a protective lampshade collar, can't go out because his paw is injured. Tilly, a pale pink child with rosy cheeks and dark brown pigtails, must stay inside "until the big storm passe[s]." Their house is huge and gloomy with nary an adult in sight--what can they do? Staying indoors, they explore, looking for items related to the outdoors. Behind "doors that had always seemed closed" and drawers they've never touched, they find "dusty things long forgotten" and "things they had not noticed": a skateboard, a cane, roller skates, broken umbrellas, and a deflated wading pool. They "tweak...and twiddle" their treasures into a glorious contraption: "The most amazing, astounding, and spectacular Dog-Walking, Storm-Protecting Machine!" Tilly and Toby's quandary and solution may provide acknowledgement and inspiration for readers spending loads of involuntary time indoors during the coronavirus pandemic--although those readers are unlikely to live in Tilly and Toby's countryside setting, which has no streets, buildings, or other houses. Garland's copious and varied rough-but-soft textures on every surface enhance the feeling of rain outdoors and a day that's hard to swim through while the gently bright colors show Tilly's creativity and the still-present possibility of fun. The unnecessarily explicit message at the closing is easy to skim over. Encouraging and timely. (Picture book. 3-8)

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January 1, 2021
Preschool-Grade 1 Tilly's dog, Toby, has an injured paw, plus it's storming, which means staying indoors, something neither is happy about. But when Toby draws Tilly's attention to his leash, she's inspired to search the house for other outdoor-related things. After rediscovering abundant objects and toys designed for outdoor fun, they "decided to make something good out of what they had." With a bicycle, wading pool, balls, and a broken umbrella, they assemble "the most amazing, astounding, and spectacular Dog-Walking, Storm-Protecting Machine"--and they imagine fun outdoor activities to come once the weather clears, all while enjoying and making the most of their time inside. Expressive, colorfully detailed, soft-textured illustrations are a mix of muted and cheery hues, incorporating some whimsy and extending the text. Though adults might be bothered by the lack of parental supervision at Tilly's house, or her somewhat risky choices, like standing on a skateboard while also wearing roller skates and balancing numerous objects, kids will likely still appreciate her creative endeavors and be empowered to bolster their own moods by finding entertainment through imaginative play.

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