Neal Layton

Kindergarten-Grade 3–What happens to two woolly mammoths when summer makes an unwelcome appearance during the Ice Age? That's the premise of Layton's extremely silly picture book. Oscar and Arabella, blissfully ice skating (minus the skates) in the freezing cold, sneeze when the weather is warm enough for flowers, frantically scratch at the invading insects, and sweat in the heat of the sun. After they make several amusing attempts to cool themselves off, Oscar holds up a scissors in his trunk and promptly invents the haircut. The grass is littered with mammoth hair as Arabella examines her new look in Oscar's mirror. The trend spreads like ragweed through the animal world; even the human lurking nearby throughout the story discards his animal skin. (And children are likely to be amused by his naked behind.) The illustrations are rough-hewn and absurd; this combination is unfailingly appealing. Layton uses a variety of media to produce bright, primitive landscapes populated with lively, cartoon creatures. An epilogue entitled "Ice Age Facts" presents some simplified information, including this tidbit: "There probably weren't any combs, mirrors, or scissors in the Ice Age. I made that up. Animals would have had to cut their woolly coats with blunt stone axes. (Just kidding)." This paragraph will elicit chortles from some children and confusion from others. It exemplifies the dry humor that infuses Hot Hot Hot.… (més)