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Rating: 
Summary: Excellent illustrations and FUN story
Review: Don't listen to a negative review of this book! My two kids (4 and 2) love the story and get a huge kick out of watching the hermit crab peeking out of the collecting box, and pulling one over on Platypus. We also get lots of giggles when the crab bites Platypus's foot. This is definitely a book I recommend and don't mind reading over and over. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent illustrations and FUN story
Review: Ladies and gentlemen I am here to announce to you that there is a definite dearth of worthwhile children's literature involving platypus protagonists out there. Certainly you'll find them shuffling around the edges of various Australian based books. But they're never the heroes. There was Anita Hewett's charming 1958 concoction, "Think, Mr. Platypus", but it's a little old. So FINALLY we find Chris Riddell's 2001 picture book, "Platypus". It's a little repetitive and it certainly doesn't explore the lifestyle or appearance of real platypuses (platypusses? platypi?) but for the preschool set this is just the story to be told. A young platypus named... um... Platypus (no real creativity there) sets about his day collecting fun things to add to his special box. When he comes across a large curly shell, Platypus is certain he has found exactly the object he's been looking for. After taking it home, however, Platypus finds it missing. He locates it and brings it back only to find the same thing happen the day after that. What is going on? The story isn't too complex, that's for certain. But I can see the occasional child growing quite fond of the rolly-polly little mammal. Author Chris Riddell draws in a style not too dissimilar from that of early Berkeley Breathed. There's a real Opus quality to his Platypus character. The story seems a tad dated. Aside from two old shoes (one of which is a yellow high top) Platypus seems to have a yen for collecting toys circa 1952. Marbles, bottle caps, and the like. On the whole, this is not a book that's gonna blow you away. On the other hand, it's not going to offend you either. And kids may enjoy figuring out why the shell moves away on Platypus before he himself does. So while I can find no real reason to dislike "Platypus", the book is lacking that something extra separates the merely good books from the excellent ones. For the kid obsessed with Australian animals, this is a good starter story. For everyone else, you're not going to miss out if you somehow skip this book in your storytime.
Rating: 
Summary: Australia's intrepid hero
Review: Ladies and gentlemen I am here to announce to you that there is a definite dearth of worthwhile children's literature involving platypus protagonists out there. Certainly you'll find them shuffling around the edges of various Australian based books. But they're never the heroes. There was Anita Hewett's charming 1958 concoction, "Think, Mr. Platypus", but it's a little old. So FINALLY we find Chris Riddell's 2001 picture book, "Platypus". It's a little repetitive and it certainly doesn't explore the lifestyle or appearance of real platypuses (platypusses? platypi?) but for the preschool set this is just the story to be told. A young platypus named... um... Platypus (no real creativity there) sets about his day collecting fun things to add to his special box. When he comes across a large curly shell, Platypus is certain he has found exactly the object he's been looking for. After taking it home, however, Platypus finds it missing. He locates it and brings it back only to find the same thing happen the day after that. What is going on? The story isn't too complex, that's for certain. But I can see the occasional child growing quite fond of the rolly-polly little mammal. Author Chris Riddell draws in a style not too dissimilar from that of early Berkeley Breathed. There's a real Opus quality to his Platypus character. The story seems a tad dated. Aside from two old shoes (one of which is a yellow high top) Platypus seems to have a yen for collecting toys circa 1952. Marbles, bottle caps, and the like. On the whole, this is not a book that's gonna blow you away. On the other hand, it's not going to offend you either. And kids may enjoy figuring out why the shell moves away on Platypus before he himself does. So while I can find no real reason to dislike "Platypus", the book is lacking that something extra separates the merely good books from the excellent ones. For the kid obsessed with Australian animals, this is a good starter story. For everyone else, you're not going to miss out if you somehow skip this book in your storytime.
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