This month’s PB review is by Ryan G. Van Cleave (Owner/Operator of Only Picture Books) and longtime OPB friend (and Ringling College of Art and Design Illustration Professor) John Herzog.
–Ryan’s Review of the Writing–
I’m a sucker for a picture book cover that screams READ ME and wow, this one does that. The title is silly and full of alliteration, and Wally himself just seems like the type of wombat I want to spend 32 pages with. And yes, it’s partially due to the blue tuxedo tailcoat.
This debut picture book by frequent The New York Times contributor Ratha Tep starts fast. By the third spread, we know that while Wally wants to be the world’s best piano-playing wombat, he’s not–a wombat in a red tuxedo tailcoat does it better. Wally isn’t daunted by that realization, however. He adds more and more to his act until he’s tap dancing, ball twirling, AND playing the piano. Surely he’s the greatest at all of that?
He’s not. That same red-dressed wombat can do all of that better.
At that realization,Wally quits. But like anyone with a dream, he finds it’s hard to give it up completely. He keeps thinking about that piano, and when the other wombat is “lurking around Wally’s piano,” Wally takes action.
The other wombat (Wylie), though, offers a cookie. Then he says that he missed Wally’s playing because it made playing the piano fun, and it made him try harder and play better. Wally realizes that Wylie’s playing made HIM play better, too. Over a chocolate chip cookies and milk snack, the two new wombat friends create a plan. Not just any plan, but the WORLD’S GREATEST plan.
The two perform on stage as the “World’s greatest blindfolded, unicycling, flamethrowing, hula-hooping, piano-playing wombats ever!” And it’s amazing. Until they realize someone else can do it better.
Even though Wally is discouraged at times, the book showcases the power of healthy competition and the delicious joy of doing what one loves. In an interview at Picture Book Builders, Tep discusses how, as a child, she had experiences similar to Wally’s but that “things also exponentially improved for me once I started accepting that there would always be someone better. I don’t mean this in a defeatist way; if anything I find it a liberating frame of thought. It frees you up to do what you really love.”
I think that affirmative, empowering focus comes through effectively in this story. Even when Wally has his minor eruption, he immediately comes around after the simple kind act of Wylie offering him a cookie.
Even though this is Tep’s debut picture book, I have to note that she did an admirable job keeping the text tight and focused. I think that’s partially why the artwork is so effective–she purposefully left a lot of room for Pintonato to play with, explore, and spotlight.
In sum, while this is a debut author at work and the publisher isn’t one I’ve encountered before, the product is memorable, amusing, and well worth reading again. Highly recommended.
4.75 out of 5 pencils
–John’s Review of the Illustrations–
“Wait, what?”
These are the two words I repeated to myself at least three or four times while I read Wally the World’s Greatest Piano-Playing Wombat. Not because I didn’t like the book–I absolutely love this book, and it will probably end up being my favorite picture book of 2022. I said those words because Wally genuinely surprised me with its sophisticated themes, and how universal yet specific it is. It’s a two-person, high-wire balancing act, with Ratha Tep’s snappy prose beautifully balanced by Camilla Pintonato’s charming, vintage-style illustrations.
This is a book that speaks to anyone who aspires to anything, spending hours and hours honing and perfecting their craft only to realize that there’s someone out there who does it better than you. This conflict is at the core of our story, which involves a piano-playing wombat named Wally who discovers that there’s another wombat named Wylie who can not only play the piano, but can tap-dance and twirl a ball and play the piano at the same time. Naturally, Wally decides to take his ball and go home (a sentiment I very much relate to). But that doesn’t last for long, as he and Wylie discover that they both motivate each other to become better and strive for more.
This story resonated very deeply with me. It’s easy to get jealous and competitive when you’re around others who do what you do, but do it better. I’m surrounded by immense talent at Ringling College from both faculty and students alike, so I can definitely relate to Wally’s frustrations.
And if anyone were to get me thinking seriously about taking my ball and going home, it would be Camilla Pintonato. Her illustrations for this book are so vibrant, fun, and well-designed that it makes me sick. This Italian talent is today’s equivalent of Mary Blair, in my opinion. And I despise her for it.
Only kidding. Or am I?
At the beginning of each semester at Ringling, I like to give a presentation to my students that sums up some of my philosophies when it comes to being a working artist. One of these philosophies is this:
You are not climbing a mountain. You are on a never-ending road of discovering and learning.
Sometimes, the road is quick, smooth, and easy. Sometimes you’re in wall-to-wall traffic going two miles per hour. Sometimes the road has a lot of bumps and potholes. Sometimes you’re off-roading in the jungle, unsure of what lies ahead. There will always be people behind you on this road, and there will always be people ahead of you on this road. The key is to stay on the road, to continue moving forward. And Wally the World’s Greatest Piano-Playing Wombat sums that up beautifully.
Dammit.
5 out of 5 crayons
John Herzog is an illustrator and educator. He has created work for Scholastic, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Little, Brown and Company, Highlights for Children, DreamWorks TV, and Hasbro. He also teaches illustration at Ringling College of Art and Design.
John is a member of the National Cartoonists Society and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, where he received the 2018 SCBWI Magazine Merit Award. He lives in Florida with his family.
John is represented by Kayla Cichello at Upstart Crow Literary.
This sounds like a terrific book. Thanks for featuring it.
Happy to do so! Enjoy the wombats.