The Wicked Big Toddlah Goes to New York

Toddie, the heroic toddler from The Wicked Big Toddlah, reappears in this fun sequel by Kevin Hawkes. In The Wicked Big Toddlah Goes to New York, the youngster and his family are visiting the Big Apple, seeing the sights and generally enjoying their trip. But despite his huge size (he’s as tall as Grand Central Station) when Toddie loses his parents, he reacts like every other kid—he wants his mom! How will Toddie ever find his parents?

Hawkes portrays Toddie’s family as decidedly New Englanders, with their elongated vowels and absent Rs (Stars become Staahs and Homer becomes Homah). This lends a delightful flavor to the book as this accent is not frequently portrayed in picture books.

Funny moments punctuate the book, but the plot feels a little thin in places (Toddie forgets all about his goal of finding his parents and instead winds up playing with other children), and the denouement (the wrapping up of loose ends) goes on a bit longer than it should. The family continues to sight-see after they find their son. A more effective denouement would be the family heading directly home and wrapping up there, rather than dragging out the trip and then returning home.

Features India ink, charcoal and acrylic illustrations. Not a favorite of this reviewer, but worth checking out at the library.