Good Night, Toucan

Praise

A flustered toucan plans a party.

Toucan invites his friends Tiger, Sloth, Frog, and Monkey to a sleepover. They are beyond excited. In fact, they declare, “It’s going to be the best sleepover ever!” This makes Toucan nervous. He wasn’t prepared for all of that pressure! He desperately flies into the jungle, searching for something that will make his party better. He fills his beak with flowers for decorations (only the biggest and most colorful, of course), finds fluffy ferns for cozy seating, and picks a tasty bunch of bananas for a treat. Then, he spies fireflies. Their twinkling lights would make the perfect ambiance! But he’s already struggling to hold everything that he has gathered. Beads of sweat, furrowed brows, and wings beating furiously show Toucan’s great effort. Is the party worth all of this suffering? Partis nimbly builds Toucan’s growing need to please, finding more and more items throughout the jungle while never believing it will be enough. An unfortunate dunk in the river leads to a dripping toucan who must confront failure. Luckily, his friends are there to help.

A jovial tale for those struggling with perfection. (Picture book. 3-7)–Kirkus