Claustro-Critter: Don't Squish the Sasquatch by Kent Redeker

"HELLO, MR. BLOBULE! MAY I PLEASE RIDE YOUR BUS?

I HOPE IT DOESN'T GET TOO CROWDED.

I DO NOT LIKE TO GET SQUISHED."

It's obviously the first stop of the morning for Mr. Blobule's bus, and its first passenger, a green Bigfoot, nattily attired in black suit, bow tie, and Derby, carrying a black briefcase, obviously has his issues as he takes a solo seat in the very back of the bus.

But as the city bus tootles through the quirky urbanscape, things get critical for this claustrophobic critter. A cast of creatively-conceived critters board the bus, one at a time--Miss Elephant Shark, Mr. Octo-Rhino, Miss Loch-Ness-Monster-Space-Alien, all dutifully reminded by Mr. Blobule of the new house rule:

DON'T SQUISH THE SASQUATCH!

But Senor Sasquatch grows progressively more squeamish in his redoubt in the back of the bus as the other amply-proportioned creatures crowd him more and more.

At last our neurotic character has reached his limit. Thrusting his head and arms wildly through the window, he vents his anxiety: AAAAARGH!

Mr. Blobule's bus suddenly reaches its capacity, and in a dramatic four-page gatefold, it EXPLODES: KA-BLOOEY!

The bus is blown, its passengers thrown into the street, and Mr. Sasquatch starts having a monster meltdown on the sidewalk. What to do? Can Mr. Blobule come up with a serendipitous prescription to soothe the Sasquatch?

There's a super silly solution to this off-beat story, skillfully scripted by author Kent Redeker, in his delightful Don't Squish the Sasquatch! (Hyperion, 2012). Told entirely in the cumulative conversations between the driver and his hybrid critter passengers, with the oft-repeated "Don't squish the Sasquatch" as a refrain that will have kids chanting along with the dialog, this picture book is equally reliant on Bob Staake's illustrations, done in a stylized but abstract style that pretty much defies description but is nevertheless wonderfully suited to this wacky but sweet tale of tolerant friends.

As Publishers Weekly puts it, "...this is a book to be read aloud. Loudly."

High and Dry? Don't Splash the Sasquatch! by Kent Redeker

"HELLO, LIFEGUARD BLOBULE!

MAY I PLEASE SIT BY YOUR POOL? I HOPE I DON'T GET SPLASHED. MY FUR GETS ALL SQUZZLEFIED!"

"OF COURSE, SENOR SASQUATCH!"

Sasquatch is a bit of a dandy, determined to be always impeccably turned out, but it seems his fur becomes quite unruly when wet. Lifeguard Blobule helpfully pulls out his megaphone, stands up, and loudly gets the swimmers' attention.

"D0N'T SPLASH THE SASQUATCH!"

But no sooner has Senor Sasquatch settled himself in his poolside lounge chair and donned his stylish sunglasses than a new swimmer has a request.

"LIFEGUARD BLOBULE, MAY I PLEASE TAKE A DIP IN YOUR POOL?" ASKS MISS ELEPHANT-SHARK.

"OKAY, BUT PLEASE DON'T...."

SPLASH!!!

Senor Sasquatch is splattered. He towels himself off, smooths down his fur, and settles down again for some sun.

But there's no snoozing in the sunshine in store for Sasquatch. First Octo-Rhino, then Miss Goat-Whale, and then Miss Loch-Ness-Monster-Space-Alien appear, and one after the other, cannonball into the pool. Sasquatch is soaked, and as he feared....

Sasquatch is squizzlefied! And ANGRY!

Whoops!

But not to worry. It seems that all the swimmers are also skilled hairdressers, and they all get busy. They spin, and shimmy the squizzlefied Sasquatch, and with brushes and blow dryers, and styling gel they soon have him looking spiffy again! So snazzy indeed that he's inspired to plan his own party for all of them...

A POOL PARTY?

Oh, NO!

In Kent Redeker's newest, Don't Splash the Sasquatch! (A Sasquatch Picture Book) (Hyperion Books, 2016), the author uses the cumulative tale format which will have listening youngsters predicting what is going to happen next, right down to the final splash. Clever book design, with a four-page gatefold that incorporates the joint restyling of the squizzelfied Sasquatch, set off the quirky cartoon style of Bob Staake's chimerical crazy critters in a kaleidoscope of comic action.

Pair this one with its companion book, Don't Squish the Sasquatch! See review here) for giggles in a saga in which a nattily-dressed Sasquatch tries to preserve his personal space as more and more wacky characters squeeze on board the bus.

Into the Woods: I Know Sasquatch by Jess Bradley

Everyone thinks they know what Sasquatch is like: He is...

VERY SMELLY!

VERY LARGE! VERY MEAN!

But who's afraid of the big, bad Sasquatch?

Not our girl--even though she's read scary things about him in a book.

Bravely she ventures forth into the woods behind her house, hoping for a spotting of the legendary "monster."

THEN SUDDENLY, I SPOTTED A MYSTERIOUS CLUMP OF FUR.

AND A LARGE FOOTPRINT!

Her first impulse is to scream and run, but as she takes to her heels, her Super Bub bubble gum packet spills behind her on the path. And when she finally turns for a quick look....

...I KNEW I HAD NOTHING TO FEAR.

Who could be afraid of a furry blue Bigfoot blowing an enormous Super Bub bubble as big as his head?

He politely presents his signed photo ID from the Society of Cryptids. Sasquatch then takes our girl on a genteel tour of the woodlands, introducing some of his friends, Yuri the Bear and Sandy the Bunny, not to mention the more, er, exotic cryptids Ogopogo and Jackalope. He shows off his family tree and points out that most of the media frenzy sightings are really those of his eccentric second cousin Murray. Over a tasty picnic he bemoans the bad press his family usually gets.

But our creative girl has a solution for that cryptid dilemma, too:

INVITE HIM TO MY HOUSE AND MAKE THIS BOOK!

Jess Bradley's just published I Know Sasquatch (Fiction Picture Books) (Capstone Books, 2015) offers young readers a light-hearted introduction to one of North America's most notorious legends. Her Sasquatch and main character are blackline cartoon characters collaged over photos of genuine woodlands and set against a blue-lined notebook background, and her kid-friendly soft blue, pink-nosed "monster" smells like blueberries (although he also apparently loves watermelon when he can get it). Big fun with Bigfoot!

Pair this one with Dan Santat's Caldecott Award-winning The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend or Kent Redeker's Don't Squish the Sasquatch! (see my review here) for more tales from the wild side.