ALA Booklist

Rudy, the baby who delightedly slipped away, exuberant and naked, from his family in Catch That Baby (2011) is back. Now he is determined to do something spectacular for his mother's birthday. A pesky ladybug gets in the way repeatedly as each of Rudy's efforts result in an "uh-oh" moment. Rudy's birthday creations, while messy, are larger than life and will elicit comments of "wow" before each inevitable destruction. Nash's simple cartoon drawings will delight the eyes of young lap-sitters, while Coffelt's limited, repetitive language could also work for beginning readers. A nice addition for picture book collections.

Horn Book (Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2013)

In this lesser companion to Catch That Baby, toddler Rudy wants to give his mother a special birthday present, but the ladybug he found in the garden flies away, his block tower tumbles down, and the dog messes up his painting for her. Told with minimal, repetitive text ("Uh-oh, Rudy!"; "WOW!"), the point of the story is lost in the action-filled illustrations.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Rudy (last seen speeding around the house naked in Catch That Baby!) is determined to give his mother a birthday gift that will make her say -Wow!- To his ongoing consternation, such efforts as a splendid block tower and a giant topiary dog that would make Jeff Koons green with envy are consistently upstaged by the family dog-s ongoing pursuit of a ladybug-which, not coincidentally, was Rudy-s initial gift. Mom is so distracted by the mild domestic mayhem that she responds with -Uh-ohs- instead of the desired interjection: -Wow!- The story-s rhythm feels erratic, and readers may wonder why Mom is so dense, especially when Rudy is clearly a candidate for the gifted and talented program. On an individual basis, however, Nash-s frames reveal him to be something like a latter-day Ernie Bushmiller-and, yes, that-s a compliment. In addition to a linear shading technique that evokes engraving, there-s the same quirky formalism-meets-comics sensibility at work, with strong graphic shapes, bold black outlines, and flat colors delivering the kind of visual punch devotees of Nancy savored every Sunday. Ages 4-8. Author-s agent: Edward Necarsulmer IV, McIntosh & Otis. (Mar.)

School Library Journal (Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2013)

PreS-K It is Mom's birthday, and young Rudy wants to give her something special. Every idea seems to end with an "uh-oh," as the gift falls apart, flies off, blows away, or turns into a muddy disaster. This almost-wordless picture book ends with a final success: a gigantic cake that the boy's grandfather helps him bake. What is puzzling is that the gifts Rudy creates are way above his skill level (he appears to be a toddler). It doesn't make sense that he would devise a huge topiary out of flowers or decorate a big birthday cake. It is wonderful to encourage imagination, but there is always a kernel of truth underlying crazy exploits. These just seem off target, although kids might love following the story by looking at the simple cartoon illustrations with their bright colors and simple lines. Mary Hazelton, formerly at Warren &; Waldoboro Elementary Schools, ME