“Sydney,” said Taylor one morning, “I have a Big Idea!”
Sydney and Taylor live happily in their cozy burrow under Miss Nancy’s potting shed—until Taylor gets his Big Idea. He wants to explore the Whole Wide World! But they are Small Animals who have never left the safety of Miss Nancy’s backyard. Guided only by a map and their dreams, they set off in search of the unknown. How will they deal with the challenges—and dangers—they find on the other side of the fence? This hilarious story highlights the importance of facing your fears and being who you are.
In this new series, readers meet two unlikely friends who have big dreams and who stick by each other through thick and thin.
Illustrated by Deborah Hocking.
Free ACTIVITY KIT sure to engage young explorers.
Age Range: 6–9
Grade Level: 1–4
Series: The Sydney & Taylor Series (Book 1)
Hardcover: 80 pages
Publisher: Clarion Books (February 2, 2021)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0358106311
ISBN-13: 978-0358106319
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REVIEWS
STARRED REVIEW. With a nod to The Wind in the Willows (not to mention that wink to the author of the All-of-a-Kind Family books), Davies sends an odd-couple pair of animal burrow mates out to explore the “whole wide world.” Taylor, a hedgehog, is the one who has the big idea of an outing, but it’s Sydney the skunk who sheds his initial reluctance to pull his suddenly timorous roomie out of their comfy digs beneath the potting shed of the (supposedly) oblivious Miss Nancy. And what do they discover? Along with steep hills to tackle, hedges to poke through, and trackless meadows, it seems that someone neglected to bring provisions, that streams are for falling into, that when an overly frisky dog runs up, it’s good to be a skunk (but not for the dog), and that when there’s a busy road to be crossed, a gardener like Miss Nancy is handy to have around to stop traffic. Hocking illustrates the short chapters with delicately detailed scenes of settled, peaceful countryside and cozy subterranean digs well furnished with books and easy chairs. “Best expedition ever,” Sydney sighs afterward, collapsing into one of the latter. “We’ll see,” replies the newly emboldened Taylor, poring over a large map. Readers of this series kickoff, which lends itself equally well to solo or shared reading, will be eager to see, too. — Booklist
This genial series opener by Davies (Panda Pants) introduces two friends who inhabit a cozy burrow under a potting shed: Taylor, a hedgehog with big ideas, and Sydney, a contented skunk. When Taylor gets a notion to see the Whole Wide World, contrary to the animals’ homebody natures, the friends set off, encountering challenges en route. These include their own poor map-reading skills, a ferocious dog, and frogs—dressed in old-fashioned bathing suits and straw boaters—who refuse to be hunted (“ ‘Hunt what?’ asked another frog. ‘Well... you,’ said Taylor, who was a very honest hedgehog”). Gouache and colored-pencil illustrations by Hocking (the Max Explains Everything series) render the companions as sweetly expressive creatures who share their richly imagined environment with snails and insects. Although the friends’ dynamic is fairly one-sided, with Sydney alternately encouraging and pushing the anxious Taylor to follow through with the desired expedition, Taylor’s perseverance (and readers’) is rewarded with the satisfaction of a completed journey, a return to home’s comforts, and the suggestion that a story of adventure might be a treasure equaling the adventure itself. Ages 6–9. —Publishers Weekly
Sydney and Taylor live in a burrow under Miss Nancy’s potting shed. Sydney is a skunk who loves to sit quietly and listen to the sounds of the world above. Taylor is a hedgehog who longs to travel and explore the world beyond the burrow. Sydney cares about his friend and wants him to be happy, so he agrees to an expedition. Almost immediately, however, Taylor becomes nervous and worries that his fear of new things and strangers will overcome him; Sydney staunchly reassures him. Although they have never even met Miss Nancy and know nothing of what waits beyond her fence, they set off feeling “wild and fearless and free.” At first Taylor is the brave one, mapping the route and leading the way. But with every new encounter Taylor’s fright takes over, and it is Sydney who provides leadership and solutions. To their great relief—and with a little help from Miss Nancy—the intrepid adventurers arrive home safely. Davies describes the action with verve, humor, and compassion, employing vivid, expressive syntax as she focuses on the characters’ nonfussy, genuine friendship and the shifts in their dynamic. Hocking’s very carefully rendered, brightly colored illustrations closely follow the events, capturing the friends’ personalities and their every emotion; their burrow, seen in an early cross-section, is a delight unto itself.
An enduring friendship wins the day in this chapter-book adventure. (Fantasy. 6-8) —Kirkus
AWARDS AND LISTS
Junior Library Guild Selection
Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best Books 2021
Wisconsin State Reading Association 2021 Just One More Page Recommended Books List
Cybils Award 2021 winner for Early Chapter Books