Maude The Not-So-Noticeable Shrimpton- ESSENTIAL

Child, Lauren Maude The Not-So-Noticeable Shrimpton.  PICTURE BOOK, illustrated by Trisha Krauss.  Candlewick, 2013. $16.99. Content: G. The Shrimpton family is eccentric, talented, and confident- that is everyone except Maude.  It seems that everyone else stands out in a crowd.  Maude would rather blend in with the wallpaper than be noticed.  Maude is so easily pleased and simple in nature that she only asks for a tiny goldfish for her birthday.  Her father, thinking that a goldfish isn’t stupendous enough, gets her a tiger instead.  The ferocious tiger soon poses a great problem for the Shrimpton family, and it’s Maude, and her simplicity, to the rescue.  I have to admit that the cover of this book made me a little weary of reading it. And the name “Maude” is not as familiar or known to kids nowadays either.  I was more than shocked when my son picked it out as one of the first to read from a pile of about 20 books. The story was great.  The artwork is interesting and very different.  We ended up  loving the book the message it shared.  My son loved finding the main character, Maude, hidden on every page.  EL (K-3)- ESSENTIAL. Reviewer: SL.