Publisher's Weekly Review
Mervin has top billing, but the real star of Venable's (the Guinea Pea, Pet Shop Private Eye series) semi-metafictional story is the title itself. Rendered in chunky block letters, it drops (slowly) into the first spread and serves as narrative scaffolding for everything that follows. Having made its announcement about Mervin-who is placidity on steroids-the title draws an ever-growing group of animal kibitzers. Debating what Mervin is going to do, a bird (who has crashed into the word the) announces, "Everybody knows that the best thing in the world is..." but before he can say "flying," a gopher chimes in with "Digging!" As more characters gather around the typography, the speculation runs the gamut from "Mervin is going to do all our homework!" to "Mervin's going to invent a time machine!" The "best thing" revealed at the end (also announced in giant type) is both sweet and something of a letdown. But the repartee that precedes it and Chan's (Where's the Party?) cartoon choreographing of the argumentative cast crackle with silly energy. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary. Illustrator's agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Mervin the sloth's animal friends learn that he's about to do something big. Lacking his restraint, they rush to guess what it is: a bird thinks Mervin will be flying, a gazelle thinks he'll be "gazelling," etc. Keen-eyed readers will enjoy the antsy, plush-toy-like cast's mugging and dialogue-balloon asides. As for the main attraction: Mervin's deed is the best. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A slow-jam of a metapicture book leads up to a best thing, indeed.Frontmatter shows the eponymous Mervin standing on the recto as the title slowly descends in large type from the top of the double-page spread. Eventually a red panda enters on the verso and notices the textual announcement, which remains, dominating the background. Whooooa it says. Other animals join the scene, each one noticing the words and eventually suggesting what the best thing might be. Being a sloth, Mervin is in no hurry to respond or to act, and the bird, gazelle, skunk, llama, and other creatures crowding the spread weigh in with humorous ideas delivered in speech-balloon text. The crowding of the spreads makes the animals eventual departure all the more dramatic, and when all but the red panda and Mervin leave the scene, new text descends above the red panda on the verso and Mervin, his arms outstretched, on the recto. It reads: Hug his best friend. The penultimate spread shows the embracing friends united on the verso with just the words best friend on the facing page, and then everyone returns to gaze adoringly at the pair at books end. Chans appealing, cartoon-style watercolor illustrations enhance the humor of the text throughout the picture book and employ a distinct, memorable style. A book to hug close and then share with a friend. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
