Somewhere in the Bayou

Simple, subtle, and drolly funny, the Pumphrey brothers’ newest picture book is a layered exploration of the foolishness of making assumptions and the virtue of curiosity. When four swamp creatures looking to cross a river come upon a log that would allow for precisely that, they can’t believe their luck. But a questionable tail adjacent to that log gives them second thoughts. Opossum believes it’s a sneaky tail and that they must pass it quietly. Squirrel thinks it’s a scary tail that can be cowed by intimidation. Rabbit decides it’s a mean tail that deserves a taste of its own medicine. As the critters exhaust approaches one by one, Mouse, the smallest of the lot, observes their folly and adjusts accordingly. But is it the mouse or the tail that will defy expectations?
Pairing their iconic illustration style with a wry irreverence, the Pumphrey brothers have crafted a delightful tale that reminds us to think before we act. Full color illustrations throughout
From School Library Journal
K-Gr 2—In a bold graphic style that uses big, flat shapes and a limited palette of gray, tan, brown, brick, and sage, four swamp creatures are beset with curiosity, and maybe even fear. A squirrel, mouse, rabbit, and weasel (or opossum, from the book jacket), in tersely worded speech bubbles that would not be out of place in Waiting for Godot, question the sight before them: "What should we do?/ We could just—/ Find another way?/ No. There's only one way past a sneaky tail." One by one, they are picked off by the tail, and in this soon-to-be-story-hour-hit, listeners will be on the edge of their seats. The survivor, the mouse, figures out why the tail is there, and helps a docile alligator get unstuck. The punch line is an uproarious gift from the Pumphreys, who could not lace more eccentric charm into this if they had 1000 more pages. It's just right. VERDICT To paraphrase another epic piece about hungry snapping jaws, you're going to need a bigger story hour.—Kimberly Olson Fakih