Follett Early Learning

A happy-go-lucky Walrus escapes the zoo in search of adventure in this wordless instant classic.

Bored with life at the zoo, an adventurous walrus escapes to the outside world. With the zookeeper in hot pursuit, Walrus cleverly tries on all sorts of hats to disguise himself. Will a yellow hardhat point to a new life as a construction worker? Or will a red swimming cap reveal his true talents? Follow the happy-go-lucky runaway as he hides amongst firefighters, businessmen, and even high-stepping dancers in this delightful wordless picture book.

Booklist (May 1, 2011 (Vol. 107, No. 17))

Preschool-Kindergarten. While the lion, bear, elephant, and even zookeeper are snoozing away a lazy afternoon at the zoo, a sly walrus makes a break for it. The mustachioed zookeeper takes chase, but the walrus proves a most clever quarry, hiding himself in plain sight by donning different hats and blending in with a new set of figures on each spread: businessmen hunched over a lunch counter, fashionable mannequins posed in a storefront display, firemen lined up holding a hose, and even a chorus line of high-kicking stage divas. Finally, the walrus performs a perfect-10 swan dive and the zookeeper comes up with a nice new attraction to flaunt the animal’s irrepressible verve. What really makes this wordless romp pop are Savage’s crisply designed, boldly composed scenes, with figures that are essentially cookie-cutter copies of each other, stylized with a distinctly retro line (Mr. Monopoly springs to mind). The walrus’ delicately absurd mimicry provides plenty of point-and-giggle moments in this understated but considerably charming bit of irreverence.

Horn Book (March/April, 2011)

A sleeping zookeeper, wide-open gates, a clever walrus -- a slow day at the city zoo is about to get a lot more interesting. In this wordless look-and-find book, the walrus escapes from his small pool and heads out the gates; the now-alert zookeeper immediately sets off in pursuit. But everywhere he looks, from the fountain to the diner, from the construction site to the theater, the walrus is nowhere to be found. Or is he? With the right headgear and attitude, the walrus hides easily in plain sight over and over again. Preschoolers will love being one step ahead of the clueless zookeeper, who doesn't notice the fountain's new mermaid statue or the store mannequin with tusks or the stage dancer with flippers and a tail instead of feet. Savage's stylish digitally created illustrations feature clean shapes, strong lines, and solid blocks of color. The graphically appealing scenes are easy to read, allowing even the youngest viewers an opportunity to interpret the action. The silly search comes to an end at a diving competition, and when the gold-medal winner's swim cap comes off, the poor zookeeper finally gets a clue...and an idea for how to keep the walrus happy and boost zoo attendance. The satisfyingly circular ending gives Where's Walrus? a flipper up on that guy in the striped shirt. kitty Flynn

Horn Book starred (Fall 2011)

In this wordless look-and-find book, a walrus heads out the zoo gates. The zookeeper sets off in pursuit, but the walrus hides easily in plain sight over and over again. Savage's stylish digitally created illustrations feature clean shapes, strong lines, and solid blocks of color. The graphically appealing scenes are easy to read, allowing even the youngest viewers to interpret the action.

Kirkus Reviews starred (January 15, 2011)

It's another slow day at the zoo-not. The keeper has nodded off, and all are asleep-all, that is, except Walrus. The seemingly content creature carefully assesses the situation from his small, raised pool. In one quick flip, he's off scurrying toward...freedom? A flowing fountain ahead, a shocked zookeeper behind, and loads of fun awaits! So begins the visual hijinks. Walrus, always one step ahead of his mustachioed caretaker, manages to build structures, fight fires and dance the cancan, all before winning an attention-grabbing platform-diving competition. His crowd-pleasing performance leaves the zookeeper thoughtful. Thus, Walrus returns to a refurbished home-complete with diving pool-and to new audiences attracted to the zoo. Minimal linework and simple blocks of color done in a cool, playful palette contribute to a '50s, modern aesthetic. Savage thoughtfully applies his graphic approach to Walrus' industrious exuberance, surrounding him with postwar-boom references. In his world, people are active; they're building and creating, and there's possibility in the air and opportunity for play. The expressive characters also brim with personality and charm. Intelligently illustrated, the book leaves readers to wonder if Walrus' adventures were all mischievous spontaneity, or did he wittingly go astray? Refreshing, captivating, elegant and witty. (Picture book. 3-7)

School Library Journal (April 1, 2011)

PreS-Gr 2-When a walrus wanders out of an open gate, his zookeeper leaps to attention. Repeating stylized images rendered in flat colors create patterns that camouflage the animal as he dons disguises to blend in with firemen, construction workers, and a chorus line. His final gig yields respect (and a new pool toy). (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.