Derick Wilder – Mom Read It

I Made These Ants Some Underpants!, Derick Wilder/Illustrated by K-Fai Steele, (May 2023, Chronicle Books), $16.99, ISBN: 9781797202167

Ages 3-5

When a kid gets a day-of-the-week underwear set from his mom, there’s only one thing to do with the lackluster gift: share the wealth! Gathering his art supplies, he gets to work making bright orange underwear to spread far and wide. From his sister, to a line of ants and a pirate. all the way to a robot and the monster under his bed, the boy makes underwear for everyone, but no one seems that thrilled… which brings him to his own hilarious conclusion. The rhyming story is a delight to read, and underwear-based stories are always a home run with my storytime kids. The watercolor, ink, and pencil artwork is cartoony and bold, with expressive characters to keep the joke rolling. Details in the child’s room clue readers in to the underwear recipients. Endpapers show the before-and-after of household items and the Underwear Rampage. Kids will delight in hearing this one again and again.

The Longest Letsgoboy, by Derick Wilder/Illustrated by Cátia Chien, (Oct. 2021, Chronicle Books), $16.99, ISBN: 9781452177168

Ages 3-6

A dog reflects on his life, his human, and his last day in this painfully beautiful story about the relationship we have with our pets and how love goes beyond our time on earth. Told using the dog’s language, we see a white-faced dog spending the day with his “foreverfriend”, Little. They run and play, and he takes in all the joy, all the feeling of this day as he quietly bids his farewells to the world around him. When he lays down to sleep one more time, he keeps an eye on Little and her “pack of twopaws”, watching them from beyond. I can’t even describe this book accurately, because it’s such a powerful experience to read. If you’ve ever loved a pet, you’ll feel Good Boy’s words in your heart; it’s painful, yet so comforting to read, and will call to mind your own Good Boys, Girls, and Pals who have moved on, and maybe you’ll look up to see if they wigglewag down at you, too. Mixed media illustrations create feelings rather than images, with muted colors that come together and give life to Good Boy’s thoughts and emotions. Endpapers show GoodBoy’s life with Little, and how he stays on as a guardian after he’s moved on, and how he’s still playing with Little and her Awpuppy.

An incredible book to help kids work through grief, and a wonderful way to talk about what happens to our pets when they die. It’s optimistic and hopeful while honoring the grief and loss we feel. An essential purchase.

The Longest Letsgoboy has starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, and The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books.

Tag: Derick Wilder

Underpants humor is a win: I Made These Ants Some Underpants

The Longest Letsgoboy brings a dog’s journey to a close