Peanut Gets Fed Up by Dana Wulfekotte

Abstract

Reviewed by: Peanut Gets Fed Up by Dana Wulfekotte Natalie Berglind Wulfekotte, Dana Peanut Gets Fed Up; written and illus. by Dana Wulfekotte. Greenwillow, 2022 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780062455826 $17.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 3-6 yrs Peanut the stuffed penguin enjoys his young human Pearl most of the time, but when all the the drooling and rough playtimes (not to mention the nippy dog) become too much, Peanut plots his great escape at the park. Now free, Peanut enjoys what life has to offer, taking a rowboat onto a lake, waiting in line at the ice cream truck, and sitting alone next to happy families. Despite assertions to the contrary, Peanut really does start to miss home, imagining Pearl has replaced him with a stuffed bunny. When he rips himself open on a park swing, Pearl comes running to the rescue, and Peanut shares the lesson learned: "It can be easy to get fed up [End Page 265] with someone when you've been stuck with them for so long. But they're the ones who will always be there to sew your stuffing back in." This picture book isn't subtle with its moral, but the perspective of a stuffed animal lightens the lesson with a bit of quirky humor. Peanut's emotions are effectively relayed to the viewer with expressive posing and a shifting compositions, and the illustrations, done in pencils with digital shading, lend both softness and structure. Viewers who play rough with toys (or siblings) may gain some empathy for their struggles from Peanut. Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois