Cress Watercress

Starred review from January 31, 2022
Maguire (Egg and Spoon) interweaves familiar elements of the animal story—a cozy family, a treacherous woodland, mourning, and growing pains—into a surreal episodic narrative. Grieving the loss of Papa Watercress, who “went out and didn’t come back,” rabbit child Cress, her little brother Kip, and their mother abandon their warren for new digs in “an apartment tree” known as the Broken Arms, where landlord Mr. Owl demands rent paid in moths. Upstairs are superintendent mice, boisterous squirrels, and songbirds alert for predators such as legendary snake “the Final Drainpipe” and fox Monsieur Reynard. Maguire channels multiple children’s literary golden ages, with allusions to Beatrix Potter and Kenneth Grahame alongside nonsense notes of Norton Juster and Russell Hoban. Theatrical situations abound, as from conniving skunk Lady Agatha Cabbage—who wants to gain Cress as a “housemaid”—and her scene-stealing live-chinchilla stole. Super-saturated panels by Litchfield (The Bear and the Piano), which resemble backlit stained glass, picture the forest and its denizens in glowing hues and shadowy black. Suitable for sharing and reading aloud, this exuberant tale revels in the performative and the flavor of language. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Moses Cardona, John Hawkins and Assoc. Illustrator’s agent: Anne Moore Armstrong, Bright Agency.

February 15, 2022
Grades 3-5 After her father fails to return home from a foraging trip, Cress (a young rabbit) sadly moves out of the family burrow with her mom and baby brother, Kip. Their new home? The Broken Arms, a forest creatures' version of a rundown apartment building, housed in a hulking dead tree and presided over by a haughty owl landlord. Other residents include a lively family of squirrels, an old mouse couple, and a pair of songbirds. Maguire gives them all strongly defined characters, but however charming, they don't live charmed lives. Cress' mother is stressed over making rent (10 dead moths per day) and Kip's fragile health, while Cress refuses to accept that her father is gone for good, hates their tiny basement apartment, and longs to be seen more as a grown-up. A hungry fox, a sneaky snake, a blundering bear, and "human beanpoles" add drama and suspense to Cress' mini adventures, which are luminously depicted in Litchfield's color illustrations. Despite dark undertones, this novel of family and friendship will please fans of animal fantasies.

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Starred review from April 29, 2022

Gr 3-7-When Maguire (Wicked) and illustrator Litchfield merge their creative geniuses, a spectacular woodland adventure full of quirky animal characters emerges. Cress, the "teenage" bunny of the family, along with Mama, and baby brother Kip (with his ever in tow, stuffed carrot Rotty), are sad to leave their warren without their beloved missing Papa. They arrive at Mr. Owl's rotten tree, "The Broken Arms," and attempt to start over in a tiny basement flat. The woodland setting is visually stunning, with Litchfield's enchanting full-color illustrations, bringing the motley crew of animal characters to life. There's Lady Agatha Cabbage, the snooty chinchilla-wearing skunk and Tunk the Honeybear, and they must always watch out for "Final Drainpipe," the snake. Maguire is a master of telling a fast-moving adventure full of wry humor, with memorable multidimensional characters to cheer both for and against. Young Cress encounters heart-stopping dangers and adventures, while the creative duo of Maguire and Litchfield weave symbolism and beautiful imagery throughout the text. Cress will appeal to most readers, who will be able to identify with that awkward in-between time during one's youth when they are wishing for independence from their family, while still very much needing them for comfort. VERDICT Reminiscent of Winnie the Pooh and The Wind in the Willows, this makes a scrumptious read-aloud or standalone story that will be beloved for years to come.-Michele Shaw

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 1, 2022
In this richly imagined woodland adventure, a grieving rabbit family -- Mama, Cress, and baby Kip (with stuffed carrot "Rotty" always in tow) -- must leave their comfortable warren to start over without their lost Papa. Their new life gets off to an inauspicious start. Mama loses the map to Mr. Owl's tree, the "Broken Arms," home of their tiny new basement flat; and they must avoid hungry foxes and a snake disturbingly (and hilariously) known as the "Final Drainpipe." Everyone the rabbits encounter -- from the outlandishly selfish skunk, Lady Agatha Cabbage, who wears a surly chinchilla around her neck, to the mix of residents in and around the Broken Arms -- is well drawn, making for a memorable cast of creatures who sometimes quarrel but always look out for any neighbor in need. Dark and shimmery full-color digital illustrations build on the text's singular atmosphere. While the moon waxes and wanes, Cress launches herself into precarious predicaments in every chapter as she cycles through waves of grief, irritability, kindness, loneliness, and bravery. As Mama observes: "But, my darling Cress, the moon will grow back. It comes and goes. Just like sorrow." The rabbits settle into the rhythm of their imperfect but warm new community as the narrative deftly coaxes readers to a place of empathy for each character, including those who initially seemed forbidding or unlikable. With its brisk plot, witty details, and thought-provoking concepts, this gloriously illustrated chapter book makes an ideal read-alone or family read-aloud. Julie Roach

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from January 15, 2022
A young bunny copes with the death of her father and the move to a new home. Mama moves her children, Cress and baby brother Kip, one spring evening as the moon is in the sky. Their new home is in a dead, hollow oak tree called the Broken Arms; its ramshackle state reminds Cress of the Watercress family's loss. Natural dangers, including, most saliently, a snake nicknamed the Final Drainpipe and Monsieur Reynard the fox, feel more immediate here. As they settle in, there's a perfect seasoning of domesticity, adventure, and contained peril, as on the day Cress and Finian, from a neighboring squirrel family, are swept over a waterfall on a raft. Cress confronts--and charms--Tunk the Honeybear with aplomb, but then she and Finny are briefly held captive by an arrogant, pretentious skunk. Maguire's narrative offers wry puns, rich vocabulary, and entertaining dialogue, and Litchfield's glowing, slightly stylized, full-color illustrations present an enchanting, magical peek into this woodland world. Cress' personality is nicely realized as a child on the cusp of growing up as she deals with sorrow, crankily takes responsibility for Kip, and argues with her mother (who, like Little Women's Marmee, puts her own anger in check to step up for her children). The anthropomorphized world feels true to itself and to the animal natures inhabiting it. Warmhearted and utterly charming. (Animal fantasy. 7-11)

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January 1, 2022
In this richly imagined woodland adventure, a grieving rabbit family -- Mama, Cress, and baby Kip (with stuffed carrot "Rotty" always in tow) -- must leave their comfortable warren to start over without their lost Papa. Their new life gets off to an inauspicious start. Mama loses the map to Mr. Owl's tree, the "Broken Arms," home of their tiny new basement flat; and they must avoid hungry foxes and a snake disturbingly (and hilariously) known as the "Final Drainpipe." Everyone the rabbits encounter -- from the outlandishly selfish skunk, Lady Agatha Cabbage, who wears a surly chinchilla around her neck, to the mix of residents in and around the Broken Arms -- is well drawn, making for a memorable cast of creatures who sometimes quarrel but always look out for any neighbor in need. Dark and shimmery full-color digital illustrations build on the text's singular atmosphere. While the moon waxes and wanes, Cress launches herself into precarious predicaments in every chapter as she cycles through waves of grief, irritability, kindness, loneliness, and bravery. As Mama observes: "But, my darling Cress, the moon will grow back. It comes and goes. Just like sorrow." The rabbits settle into the rhythm of their imperfect but warm new community as the narrative deftly coaxes readers to a place of empathy for each character, including those who initially seemed forbidding or unlikable. With its brisk plot, witty details, and thought-provoking concepts, this gloriously illustrated chapter book makes an ideal read-alone or family read-aloud.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)