My Cousin Momo by Zachariah OHora

August 21, 2015
goodreadswithronna
Accepting Differences, Ages 3-7, Children's Book Reviews, Emotions & Feelings, Juvenile Fiction, Patience

MY COUSIN MOMO
by Zachariah OHora
(Dial Books for Young Readers/Penguin; $16.99, Ages 3-7)

is reviewed today by Cathy Ballou Mealey.

Momo, sporting tricolored head and wrist sweatbands along with a 35mm camera strapped around his neck, is exotic from the moment he arrives at his squirrel cousins’ home. From his hardsided yellow suitcase plastered with travel stickers (ACORN AIRWAYS, BUNNYLAND), we know that Momo likes to travel. After all, he is a flying squirrel.

Momo’s cousins and their forest friends can hardly wait for the visitor to soar into the air, but Momo seems shy. Alternative activities – such as playing superheroes or Acorn Pong – are not successful either. Poor Momo is deemed an awkward outsider. The narrator’s younger sister doesn’t hold back in expressing her disappointment, plonking her face with the pong paddle and kicking mushrooms in frustration.

Momo, tearful and dejected, starts to fill his suitcase. Even his camera gets packed away. Pangs of remorse grip his cousins. Thankfully, they redouble their efforts to make Momo feel at home, and discover the upside to trying things in new and different ways.

OHora’s text is direct, dry and funny. He nails the tone of an elementary school age narrator with precision. The illustrations are quirky and hip with inventive twists that capture the characters’ emotional highs and lows in bold, minimalist lines. Chunky black outlines and a dense but muted color palette give MOMO a rich vibrancy that bounces off the page. But there is still enough detail to delight the eye, from fluffy swirled squirrel tails to crisp cupcake liner pleats, OHora excels in depicting enticing textures. Peek under the dust jacket for a hidden surprise!

The last page leaves readers anticipating further funny, squirrely adventures. What could be better than mo’ Momo?

Reviewed by Cathy Ballou Mealey

Where Obtained: I reviewed a copy of MY COUSIN MOMO from my library and received no other compensation. The opinions expressed here are my own.