Pick of the Week

Llama Llama Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney (Viking, 2007)

Shopping at a megastore may not seem like the most interesting of activities or setting for a children's picture book. But Anna Dewdney's latest book takes on this topic and adds the flare of "llama drama" that almost any child and parent will relate to. Little Llama Llama (of previous Llama Llama Red Pajama fame) is back and this time he's not at all pleased to be dragged away from his toys, plopped into a carseat, and taken on an overly long, boring trip to the "Shop-o-Rama" store. Llama Llama, in typical toddler-style gets increasingly tired and frustrated. The tension builds until it finally erupts at the climax with a dramatic meltdown. Mama llama quickly steps in to calm Llama Llama down with plenty of love and a thoughtful solution to getting through the shopping trip with ease.