Benny's Brigade

by Arthur Bradford, Lisa Hanawalt (Illustrator)

At recess one day, sisters Elsie and Theo spy a nut wiggling on the ground. Out pops Benny?the world’s smallest and most gentlemanly walrus. After the girls learn that Benny misses his home in the sea, they send him sailing in a milk-carton boat, along with a trusty band of adventure-seeking slugs. Together, Benny’s Brigade (as they call themselves) begin their voyage to a truck-sized island paradise, avoiding the salt water as much as they can. Slugs don’t like salt.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Nature

48 pages, Hardcover

First published March 13, 2012

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arthur Bradford has written two books of short stories filled with quirky characters in oddball situations, and I have adored both collections. Taking into account that one of his stories was about a dog that sings Billy Joel songs, it doesn't seem odd at all that Bradford would pen a children's tale about two young girls who find a tiny walrus inside a nut. And, yeah, he sings a bit - not Piano Man, but a sad, salty ballad of faithless wandering, and a powerful yearning to return to the sea. The girls waste no time making Benny a fine sea-worthy vessel out of a milk carton, and along with his "brigade" of garden slugs, Benny sets off on a fine adventure.

Lisa Hanawalt's illustrations are charming, and evocative.




I highly recommend this gentle story about critters who are not traditionally cuddly.

[Mathew · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the most nonsensical and oddest books that I have read. Two sisters, Elsie and Theo discover on their way to school a tiny walrus trapped in a walnut shell. Grateful for their help, Benny the walrus shares his desire to be back at sea and the girls do all that they can to ensure it happens.

The narrative itself is odd and spartan at times with a poem and storyline reminiscent of something Carrollesque and it seems that Bradford lets Hanawalt's illustrations do the talking instead. With a dust-jacket that folds out into a huge, bizzare epilogue to the story and a cover embossed with golden slugs this is not your average over-sized picturebook.

Yet the story of the children creating a vessel for Benny and the odd creatures which watch the proceedings are going to enthrall and entertain the child reader. As if in testament to this, my second hand copy has scrawled in pen on the endpapers 'tis is a fune storry'. Not only it is a funny story but is also refreshing having one in which girls clamber up trees, play with slugs and are most happy when they're down in the grass building, crafting and closely looking at all the little creatures around them.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My friend Arthur wrote a kids book and it's full of the same funny and odd whimsy that everyone loved in his short story collection, Dogwalker. But, you know, this is just one story, and it's for kids. For more grown-up fare, I hear he has a new collection due out maybe later this year.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is like if David Lynch wrote a childrens book.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a strange book. My three-year-old liked it, there was a lot going on in the artwork and she enjoyed looking over the pages as I read what was a bit more text that most books that I read her. We will probably get one or two more read out of it. The book is about two sisters who find a tiny walrus in a nut.

The book tells a sort of charming story about these girls and the walrus. It's obviously a bit surreal and fantastical, but we both enjoyed that. What's weird, is that it seems that the story is going somewhere, and then it ends in a bizarre way. It was sort of like the author was writing to reach a certain word count, and then just stopped. I didn't mind this, in fact I thought it was funny, but my daughter (again, only three, probably below the intended audience of this book) was a bit befuddled.

Finally, I know this isn't a book on which to get hung up on scientific details, but how did that tiny walrus reproduce on an island with just one walrus? To this book's credit, I am still thinking about it the next day, and am now enjoying it as a sort of meditation on childhood imagination where there was never a walrus, but another slug.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

But while Symphony City and We Need a Horse are perhaps best enjoyed by grownups, Benny's Brigade is just as fanciful and engaging as could be. The author, Arthur Bradford, has done a lot of work in documentary film, and I think that accounts for the organic way that the story seems to unreel. Course alterations and changes in scene seem to follow the meandering of a child's thoughts; the illustrations are precise and natural in a way that makes you want to stop and examine everything more closely.

Full review on Pink Me: http://pinkme.typepad.com/pink-me/201...

[Hans · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much to love about Benny's Brigade: unique story, slugs as protagonists, the slime trail spelling "Benny" on the back cover of the book, the playful shift for the end papers, and of course Benny.

I like the way that the book clearly shows kids that they can build a boat from a milk carton and a few other items, but doesn't break the story to say, "Hey kids, why don't you build a ship from a milk carton after you finish reading this book."

Odd timing to read this because of the recent story of Mitik's rescue (in the NY Times online edition)--what a mug on that Mitik! The world needs more walruses.

[Kearstin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming and quirky story with excellent illustrations. . . I"m gifting it to my favorite five year old but would recommend it for any storybook loving reader! Tiny walrus in a nut, goes on an adventure to find an island of strange and wonderful animals. . . . . yes.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elsie and Theo, twin sisters, find a nut which has a tiny little walrus in it. He misses the ocean and with the help of the twins he makes it back.

[D'Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

So totally adorable.

[Dest · Rating 3 out of 5]

An exercise in weirdness.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A surreal, fantastical story with superb illustrations. A beautifully designed book.

[Brianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun picture book, imaginative, creative and a bit weird.

[Peacegal · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful book, with gorgeous, surreal illustrations. Really captures the wild imagination of childhood play.

[Hayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the conclusion of this story

[Mollie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so strange and sweet!

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a little unusual. At the beginning you think it is going to be about two girls, but then it becomes about a walrus and slugs. Points for originality!

[Rick Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming and sweet, just like me!

[Lu Benke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots to like about this book: extra large format, illustrations with effective black outlines, and a whimsical plot that children will enjoy. Still, it had a feeling of the type of story a mom/dad/aunt/uncle would make up on the fly to momentarily entertain a child. I could just imagine that the rather abrupt ending was caused by the lack of time to have the story continue (e.g., bedtime), or a worry on the part of the creator that they had used a rather untenable premise that slugs would want to continue downriver all the way to the salty sea. And, how would the storyteller handle THAT ending?

[Bookslut · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a WEIRD book. We all loved it. There is a picture key on the front and back flaps that the kids particularly enjoyed. We all liked that a tiny walrus came out of a wiggley nut, and that he had a crew of slugs. Very cool illustrations, big thumbs up.

[Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of a mere handful of books I want to give to every single person I know. I was introduced by my favorite three-year-old and her moms earlier this spring, and just can't stop telling people about this story. Complete genius.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

So strange and engaging.

[Whitney · Rating 1 out of 5]

Anthropomorphic walruses bring to mind the Kevin Smith movie "Tusk" so this one was a big NO for me.

[elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could look at Lisa Hanawalt illustrations all day.

[rabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

charmingly bizarre. we love looking at the big illustration of the island creatures on the inside of the book jacket.