Trupp: A Fuzzhead Tale

Rating:
Summary: My grades 1-3 students loved this book...
Review: It was a Friday afternoon and the students appeared to be tired. I planned on reading aloud only for 30 minutes. I was pleased to see that the students were engaged in the story that they insisted that I finish the whole book. I was impressed that they were able to sit through for almost an hour. When I was done, the students declared that they liked Trupp the best because the animal was cute unlike others in Cannon's books, which were either icky or scary for them (bat, cockroach and snake). They loved her illustrations and said that Trupp had beautiful blue eyes. Two students commented that Trupp in the story, actually a fictional animal called fuzzhead, looked like a combination of a cat and polar bear. The students made several connections with this story. They remembered a trip to downtown where the crowds were just like Trupp found himself in a crowd. One girl also mentioned that she had seen a homeless person carrying a cart like Bernice in the book.

I commend Ms. Cannon for being capable of doing something different and create a story about a fictional animal- it's a way to express her creativity as well demonstrate the importance of being creative.

Rating:
Summary: delightful, on the vein of the trumpets
Review: Like two other Janell Cannon books Stellaluna and Verdi, Trupp has great illustrations. That is only one element of the importance of children's picture books -- the STORY is really the main event that sparks imaginations and opens those priceless discussions. Trupp did not do that for us.

As others here have pointed out, Trupp kind of meanders pointlessly on a journey that ends rather abruptly. The moral of the story is compassion and kindness to the homeless. I felt that this message was a little obvious and heavyhanded; it almost substituted for an actual storyline. In the end, Trupp: a Fuzzhead Tale comes across as bland and preachy.

There are not a lot of children's picture books out there that address the homeless, and for that I must give Cannon credit for trying to touch on the subject.

Rating:
Summary: scary
Review: The book had a good point of exploring the world and finding out things that you wouldnt if you just stayed in one spot but being that it is for little kids i think the main character is a little freaky looking. Yes i know it is made up but if you are reading this to a little kid and showing them the pictures i think they would have nightmares since the picture of him climbing up the cliff wall kinda portrays him to be an evil little thing. i mean i am 16 and it freaked me out so if i would get freaked out by this and i am 16 i dont think this is a good idea for a kid book.

Rating:
Summary: Different, but special in its own right
Review: This book touches my heart. More, it is a favourite with my son [age 6]. The way it sort of rambles around homelessness, the desire to see over the next hill, having a safe place where one is loved, and independence make for a slow read -- in the best sense. We have many conversations on our way through it, conversations that my son initiates. All of Cannon's stories are favourites at our house.

Rating:
Summary: Not Janell Cannon's best.
Review: This story ended abruptly and left confused expressions on my daughters and my faces. AT first I thought that some pages were missing but this was not the case.
Also, the introduction at the begining made it seem like Fuzzheads are real creatures.
Stellaluna and Verdi are much better and truly can not compare to this book.
I have three other books by the author and am glad I borrowed this from the library first.

Rating:
Summary: A deviation from brilliance
Review: TRUPP is a horrid deviation for Ms. Cannon, whose other works delight and entertain. The artwork is, of course, wonderful, brilliant and full of vibrant color. The story, however, attempts to illustrate the difficult topic of homelessness, not the typical subject of a child's story. Although I must applaud this attempt, in all honesty, the story is just not terribly interesting nor compelling. My own daughter found it rather boring, particularly in comparison with STELLALUNA or VERDI.

As evidenced by earlier reviews, it is apparent that some readers are confused by the use of the mythical Fuzzhead. It's an interesting deviation from the natural world of Ms. Cannon's other protagonists, but it seems rather artificial and strange, although it was necessary in order to enter the human world in which the story takes place. Personally, I don't have a problem with the Fuzzheads, but I didn't really find them appealing. Neither did my daughter.

Simply put, you may well love this book, but my family has not added it to our library, being content to allow the public library to keep it for us. :)

Rating:
Summary: A deviation from brilliance
Review: TRUPP is a horrid deviation for Ms. Cannon, whose other works delight and entertain. The artwork is, of course, wonderful, brilliant and full of vibrant color. The story, however, attempts to illustrate the difficult topic of homelessness, not the typical subject of a child's story. Although I must applaud this attempt, in all honesty, the story is just not terribly interesting nor compelling. My own daughter found it rather boring, particularly in comparison with STELLALUNA or VERDI.

As evidenced by earlier reviews, it is apparent that some readers are confused by the use of the mythical Fuzzhead. It's an interesting deviation from the natural world of Ms. Cannon's other protagonists, but it seems rather artificial and strange, although it was necessary in order to enter the human world in which the story takes place. Personally, I don't have a problem with the Fuzzheads, but I didn't really find them appealing. Neither did my daughter.

Simply put, you may well love this book, but my family has not added it to our library, being content to allow the public library to keep it for us. :)

Rating:
Summary: trupp
Review: Trupp is a very cute critter- cuddly and curious, someone I would like to have visit my home. The "scientific" explanation at the beginning is cute and lends a touch of authenticity to the story- after all, Blancofelis dexterodactylus *must* exist if this kind of information is available on them. :-)

The story illustrates that many of us just don't see what we don't expect. Most humans are pretty wrapped up in our own lives, after all and wouldn't see Trupp visiting the city either. Of course, a lot of people don't see the homeless either so it's appropriate that the homeless people are the *only* ones who see Trupp.

Trupp gets tired quickly and wants to go home after only one night with the humans. Initially the ending felt very abrupt, but when I thought of how quickly children want to stop doing things sometimes, it made more sense. How many of us have spent an hour getting a child to an art exhibit or playdate, only to have the child ready to leave before we're even settled? That's the feeling Trupp's departure gave me.

This isn't the authors best, but the illustrations are charming. It can provide a springboard for discussing homelessness and other "different" people. Another reviewer stated that children don't expect a children's story to discuss homeless people, but if children see them around, they'll need to learn about them.