Snippity snip. Stitchity stitch. Buttons for eyes. Surprise! Grandpa's old plaid shirt is now my new Plaidypus! Tag along with a lively young girl and her constant companion as they find adventures wherever they go--the park, the lake, or the supermarket candy aisle! And don't forget to keep an eye on Plaidypus, as there's always a chance he'll find himself astray--stuck in the sand, high on a shelf...But no need to worry: Plaidypus lost, Plaidypus found. This story goes around and around!! Janet Stevens and her sister; Susan Stevens Crummel, bring to life a heart-warming tale of a girl with a boundless imagination and a very special friend. PreSchool-Grade 1-Complete with rhyming text, engaging illustrations, and interactive questions, this oversized picture book had the potential to be a storytime favorite. Unfortunately, the inconsistent design is too busy and haphazard, and the words fail to hold a rhythm from page to page. A grandmother makes a stuffed "Plaidypus" for her granddaughter out of an old plaid shirt. The excited child promises never to lose the toy but then proceeds to leave him behind over and over. Vowing to be more careful every time he is found, she always forgets. By the end, the patched-up Plaidypus has taken quite a beating. This story does go "around and around" as the text says, and in the end, there is still no resolution. While the book has many appealing elements and does a nice job of incorporating the concept of opposites, overall, it doesn't gel, and the characters and plot struggle to garner much affection or sympathy. Julie Roach, Malden Public Library, MA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. PreS-Gr. 1. The little girl of this endearing picture book meets a stuffed shirt at Grandma's house--and no, it isn't Grandpa. It's a homemade, slightly homely platypus that Grandma has fashioned out of a plaid shirt. From the opening lines, "Plaidypus lost. Plaidypus found. This story goes around and around," it's clear that the girl and her toy are in for a turbulent time, and sure enough, they repeatedly wind up separated. Children will recognize themselves in the preschool- or kindergarten-aged main character and sympathize with her frantic anxiety whenever Plaidypus goes missing ("Search high and low. Over. Under. Where did he go?") and her resplendent joy each time he is restored ("I'll never, ever lose you again"). Stevens incorporates digitally collaged elements into her energetic pencil-and-watercolor illustrations, adding texture without cluttering the clean, open compositions. The plot is slender, but the memorable refrains and syncopated rhythms, as well as the book's generous size and large, whimsically designed type, make this a good bet for larger storytime crowds. Jennifer Mattson Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved "Endearing...a good bet for larger storytime crowds." ( Booklist ) --Booklist "A little girl takes her beloved stuffed toy, made from one of grandpa's old shirts, with her wherever she goes. Unfortunately, she leaves him wherever she goes as well." ( The Bulletin ) --The Bulletin Janet Stevens's books have won many awards, including a Caldecott Honor. Her books have been named American Library Association Notable Books. She wrote this book with her sister, Susan, and created all the illustrations herself. She is the illustrator of the popular Anansi books written by Eric A. Kimmel. She lives in Boulder, Colorado. Susan Stevens Crummel has written many best-selling picture books with her sister, Janet. These marvelous books have included a Time magazine's Top 10 Children's Book and winners of the Texas Bluebonnet Award and other state awards. She lives in Fort Worth, Texas.