What do you think?
Rate this book
What's Up, Maloo?
Maloo the kangaroo has lost his hop. Can his friends help him find it again? This sweet picture book explores the idea of sadness and the importance of friendship through ups and downs. No other kangeroo can hop like Maloo! But one day Maloo's friends find him stepping instead of hopping. What's wrong, Maloo? His pals look for ways to help Maloo regain the spring in his step. With patience, support and a little "hop" from his friends, Maloo gets his bounce back. Simple text and adorable art convey the power of friendship over a gloomy mood in Geneviève Godbout's charming debut as both author and illustrator.
40 pages, Hardcover
Published January 7, 2020
1 person is currently reading
86 people want to read
About the author
Geneviève Godbout
37 books45 followersGeneviève Godbout is a freelance illustrator who specializes in children’s books. She now lives in Montréal, surrounded by her little family, after many years spent in London as a Winnie the Pooh character artist for the Walt Disney Company.
Her distinctive style in soft pastels and coloured pencils convey nostalgia from another era. Geneviève’s work was selected for the Society of Illustrators Original Art Exhibit in New York in 2017, 2018 and 2019, for her books Johnny Appleseed, Goodnight Anne and Apple Cake. She also illustrated the 2021 Christmas and Holiday stamps for Canada Post and collaborated on the packaging of baby care and baby food products for the Personnelle brand (Metro).
The French translation of her book When Santa Was a Baby (Linday Bailey) was the winner of the 2017 Quebec Booksellers Youth Prize.
She currently works on the sequel to What’s Up, Maloo?, her debut album as an author, in addition to a new children’s book to be released by Candlewick Press in the United States next year.
Her distinctive style in soft pastels and coloured pencils convey nostalgia from another era. Geneviève’s work was selected for the Society of Illustrators Original Art Exhibit in New York in 2017, 2018 and 2019, for her books Johnny Appleseed, Goodnight Anne and Apple Cake. She also illustrated the 2021 Christmas and Holiday stamps for Canada Post and collaborated on the packaging of baby care and baby food products for the Personnelle brand (Metro).
The French translation of her book When Santa Was a Baby (Linday Bailey) was the winner of the 2017 Quebec Booksellers Youth Prize.
She currently works on the sequel to What’s Up, Maloo?, her debut album as an author, in addition to a new children’s book to be released by Candlewick Press in the United States next year.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
February 7, 2020
Every once in awhile we all stop hopping forward - but what is a kangaroo to do when this happens? Very nice story about how are friends are always there to help us back on our feet - love the art!
December 7, 2019
What's Up, Maloo? features a cute kangaroo and a number of other friendly critters. The illustrations are nice, but I'm a bit confused by the message. Or, rather, I'm confused about the message for this intended audience. Maloo doesn't just seem a little down. He seems like he has full-blown clinical depression. Suddenly, he can't hop (even though he was able to do it previously--and joyfully--with no problems). His friends have to come up with a way to get a kangaroo to be able to hop again.
While I'm sure some older readers will be able to relate, I'm not sure toddlers are going to be able to empathize with a clinically depressed kangaroo. Maybe this is just what I read into it, but I thought Maloo's sudden inability to hop seemed extreme, and therefore pathological. To make matters worse, he's shown "getting over" this severe depression with just a little bit of help from his friends. I think I would've preferred to see the inability to hop explained better--maybe there's an actual reason he doesn't feel like hopping, so that it doesn't come across as a random chemical imbalance--or else a more inconclusive ending that doesn't imply that you can get over severe depression with one kind gesture from your friends.
The pictures are lovely, though. I especially liked seeing Maloo's friends trying to keep up with him using their pogo sticks.
I think parents with depression are probably going to get more out of this than their kids are. I'd be hesitant to recommend it to everyone, though, because it does have the potential to minimize what can be a very serious mental illness. Parental guidance and some conversation are definitely suggested with this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Books (NY) for providing a digital ARC.
While I'm sure some older readers will be able to relate, I'm not sure toddlers are going to be able to empathize with a clinically depressed kangaroo. Maybe this is just what I read into it, but I thought Maloo's sudden inability to hop seemed extreme, and therefore pathological. To make matters worse, he's shown "getting over" this severe depression with just a little bit of help from his friends. I think I would've preferred to see the inability to hop explained better--maybe there's an actual reason he doesn't feel like hopping, so that it doesn't come across as a random chemical imbalance--or else a more inconclusive ending that doesn't imply that you can get over severe depression with one kind gesture from your friends.
The pictures are lovely, though. I especially liked seeing Maloo's friends trying to keep up with him using their pogo sticks.
I think parents with depression are probably going to get more out of this than their kids are. I'd be hesitant to recommend it to everyone, though, because it does have the potential to minimize what can be a very serious mental illness. Parental guidance and some conversation are definitely suggested with this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Books (NY) for providing a digital ARC.
November 25, 2019
This is a gentle and subtle book about life's ups and downs. It's an odd little story, but the beautiful illustrations made the lesson clear.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
January 6, 2020
Beautifully illustrated and simple enough children will stay engaged. 🙂
Pub date: January 7th!
Pub date: January 7th!
January 15, 2020
Simple message about anxiety and friendship wonderfully executed. Vibrant and bold illustrations by the amazing Genevieve Godbout.
November 19, 2019
Pointless! Honestly I read the description and I read the book and I can't find any of the educative and positive message from the description in the book. It just have nothing in it. An empty shell...
January 14, 2020
Poor Maloo has lost the spring in his jump and can only step, step, step. He becomes sad and despondent. Where can his hop be, and more importantly, how can he get it back? After all he is the greatest hopper around and now it's gone. Oh my!
His friends rally around him and try to encourage and support him through his difficult time. Are they able to help him regain his confidence and restore the spring in his step?
The message of the book is simple and positive. It applies to all ages really. Anyone that deals with depression or anxiety can certainly relate. "What's Up Maloo?" emphasizes the importance of friendship and being there for one another in times of need. With a little help from his friends will Maloo bounce back and become his old self once more?
The illustrations are adorable and filled with colour, emotion and action. This is Geneviève Godbout's debut book as both the author and the illustrator. I highly recommend it.
His friends rally around him and try to encourage and support him through his difficult time. Are they able to help him regain his confidence and restore the spring in his step?
The message of the book is simple and positive. It applies to all ages really. Anyone that deals with depression or anxiety can certainly relate. "What's Up Maloo?" emphasizes the importance of friendship and being there for one another in times of need. With a little help from his friends will Maloo bounce back and become his old self once more?
The illustrations are adorable and filled with colour, emotion and action. This is Geneviève Godbout's debut book as both the author and the illustrator. I highly recommend it.
June 27, 2022
C’est l’album jeunesse le plus inutile que j’ai lu à ce jour.
Moins de 50 mots pour dire « avec l’aide de ses amis, on peut toujours se sortir de la dépression et rebondir sur ses pieds ». God, j’pense que ma critique a plus de mots que l’album.
Je trouve ça dommage, car les images sont belles et si l’histoire avait été approfondie, cela aurait pu être incroyable, mais pas là…
Moins de 50 mots pour dire « avec l’aide de ses amis, on peut toujours se sortir de la dépression et rebondir sur ses pieds ». God, j’pense que ma critique a plus de mots que l’album.
Je trouve ça dommage, car les images sont belles et si l’histoire avait été approfondie, cela aurait pu être incroyable, mais pas là…
January 27, 2020
This one snuck up on me. I was a bit confused on first read but when I looked back through, focusing on the illustrations it clicked. Beautifully illustrated with a good, if subtle message about life's ups and downs and how we can support our friends through them.
January 29, 2020
I will always grab a Genevieve Godbout book off the shelves. Her illustrations are so incredibly beautiful, drawing me in and keeping me around no matter what the story is about.
We all have bad days, days where we are just in a funk or in a foggy cloud. It happens to adults certainly but how many of us think about how it will also affect out children. There can be an expectation that children should always be happy, these are the best times of their lives after all. The reality is that sometimes they just feel blue and need strategies to help cope with those feelings which can be scary for a young person. Enter Genevieve Godbout and Maloo the little kangaroo who hops into a fog and doesn’t have the spunk to get back hopping again. Maloo’ S friends are there to help them, never leaving their side and coming up with many different plans to help clear the fog. Ultimately their kindness helps Maloo break out of the blue feelings and they all go off hopping together.
A lovely introduction to mental health so appropriate for our youngest readers to help them understand some of those complex feelings of growing up and how they can help each other break out of a funk. What’s Up Maloo? is an excellent book to open a dialogue with our youngest readers about feelings and helping them to name their big feelings and help them to show empathy to their friends when they are having the big feelings as well
We all have bad days, days where we are just in a funk or in a foggy cloud. It happens to adults certainly but how many of us think about how it will also affect out children. There can be an expectation that children should always be happy, these are the best times of their lives after all. The reality is that sometimes they just feel blue and need strategies to help cope with those feelings which can be scary for a young person. Enter Genevieve Godbout and Maloo the little kangaroo who hops into a fog and doesn’t have the spunk to get back hopping again. Maloo’ S friends are there to help them, never leaving their side and coming up with many different plans to help clear the fog. Ultimately their kindness helps Maloo break out of the blue feelings and they all go off hopping together.
A lovely introduction to mental health so appropriate for our youngest readers to help them understand some of those complex feelings of growing up and how they can help each other break out of a funk. What’s Up Maloo? is an excellent book to open a dialogue with our youngest readers about feelings and helping them to name their big feelings and help them to show empathy to their friends when they are having the big feelings as well
November 23, 2019
I received a copy of this arc from NetGalley for an honest review. A cute picture book about a kangaroo that has lost his hop. I really love the illustrations.
August 7, 2020
Dreamy artwork.
January 26, 2020
**I received this free digital copy in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley and the publisher**
Maloo has excellent friends who want to help him find his hop.. Maloo’s friends were by his side the whole time and kept trying to encourage him. It was a beautiful story perfect for little ones. The writing did not take away from the illustrations, and I love how the words “hop” were repeated and appeared in similar areas throughout the book. This book was very simple, but it effectively got the moral across with assistance from the simple sentences and illustrations.
I posted a full review on my blog https://kaitlynscupoftea.home.blog
Maloo has excellent friends who want to help him find his hop.. Maloo’s friends were by his side the whole time and kept trying to encourage him. It was a beautiful story perfect for little ones. The writing did not take away from the illustrations, and I love how the words “hop” were repeated and appeared in similar areas throughout the book. This book was very simple, but it effectively got the moral across with assistance from the simple sentences and illustrations.
I posted a full review on my blog https://kaitlynscupoftea.home.blog
January 22, 2020
Adorable illustrations. Important topic (depression); however the story line could have made that a little easier to understand..
January 14, 2020
Maloo the kangaroo loves to hop, and he's really great at it. Then, without warning, he stops hopping and his friends have to help him get his hop back.
There isn't a lot of text, and the pictures really tell the story. This book can be interpreted several ways, but I think its a story about how to help a friend who suffers from depression (I feel like Maloo could be bipolar). At first Maloo is hopping around with a smile on his face, and then suddenly, without explanation, he stops. His friends ask him what's wrong and even though he doesn't tell them, they support him and help him hop again.
I think this book presents an opportunity for caregivers to talk to children about mental illness, or just feeling down in general, and how to help people that might feel that way.
There isn't a lot of text, and the pictures really tell the story. This book can be interpreted several ways, but I think its a story about how to help a friend who suffers from depression (I feel like Maloo could be bipolar). At first Maloo is hopping around with a smile on his face, and then suddenly, without explanation, he stops. His friends ask him what's wrong and even though he doesn't tell them, they support him and help him hop again.
I think this book presents an opportunity for caregivers to talk to children about mental illness, or just feeling down in general, and how to help people that might feel that way.
January 8, 2020
Darling darling illustrations. Little Maloo is hopping along one day, then a fog starts following him around, and he grows depressed. He doesn't hop anymore. His friends try several ways to help get him hopping again (although I'm not sure how effective an electric fan would be? haha), and they finally have success when they all help fling him in the air with a blanket. I love the theme of friendships being crucial to overcoming depression, or just feeling down.
December 31, 2019
Maloo is a kangaroo who loves to hop. One day, he stops hopping and only walks. His friends are concerned and figure out a way to get him to hop again.
This story shows that sometimes people don’t feel well, and don’t behave the way they usually do. Maloo’s friends came together to help him. This shows kids that it’s okay to feel bad sometimes. Everyone has bad days, even kangaroos.
The images were beautiful. They looked like pastel illustrations. I really liked them.
This is a great children’s story.
Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This story shows that sometimes people don’t feel well, and don’t behave the way they usually do. Maloo’s friends came together to help him. This shows kids that it’s okay to feel bad sometimes. Everyone has bad days, even kangaroos.
The images were beautiful. They looked like pastel illustrations. I really liked them.
This is a great children’s story.
Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 20, 2019
4/5 stars
I love the illustrations and simplistic style. The story was a good one if the kids can’t read yet. What I mean is there is very little to this story and a lot of it is going to be pausing and asking your kids why the kangaroo is so sad, or saying looking his friends help him no matter what. It’s a great lesson for young children. Perfect for that age where they can‘t read fully by themselves but could grasp what’s going on as you talk through the story with them. Perfect for showing kids how to make inferences based of the pictures as well.
I love the illustrations and simplistic style. The story was a good one if the kids can’t read yet. What I mean is there is very little to this story and a lot of it is going to be pausing and asking your kids why the kangaroo is so sad, or saying looking his friends help him no matter what. It’s a great lesson for young children. Perfect for that age where they can‘t read fully by themselves but could grasp what’s going on as you talk through the story with them. Perfect for showing kids how to make inferences based of the pictures as well.
February 2, 2019
Un très bel album sur la dépression chez l'enfant.
Mon billet sur le blogue: http://moncoinlecture.com/malou-genev...
Mon billet sur le blogue: http://moncoinlecture.com/malou-genev...
October 24, 2020
Un beau livre sur l’aspect de rebondir qu’on adore pour les illustrations!
February 2, 2020
'What's Up, Maloo?' with words and pictures by Genevieve Godbout is a picture book for younger readers about a sad kangaroo.
Maloo is a young kangaroo who used to like to hop, but something is bothering him. His friends look for ways to help him. Can they make their friend hop again?
I'm a fan of the illustration style of Genevieve Godbout, and it's on full display here. Unfortunately, the story has good intentions, but seems to miss the mark. The story is meant to be about sadness and how to help someone cope with it, but that is a tough message to get out of this story.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
Maloo is a young kangaroo who used to like to hop, but something is bothering him. His friends look for ways to help him. Can they make their friend hop again?
I'm a fan of the illustration style of Genevieve Godbout, and it's on full display here. Unfortunately, the story has good intentions, but seems to miss the mark. The story is meant to be about sadness and how to help someone cope with it, but that is a tough message to get out of this story.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
March 25, 2020
The illustrations are amazing. Genevieve Godbout at her best. Or her usual. I don't know. I kind of want her artwork in my home somewhere.
But the book itself left something to be desired. I know it was about mental health and sometimes, you just don't feel up to doing things--but you have friends who help you. I get it. I love that message. I just wanted more dialogue.
Sometimes illustrators need to stick to just illustrator. Same as when writers need to stick to just writing. Crossover isn't always successful!
But the book itself left something to be desired. I know it was about mental health and sometimes, you just don't feel up to doing things--but you have friends who help you. I get it. I love that message. I just wanted more dialogue.
Sometimes illustrators need to stick to just illustrator. Same as when writers need to stick to just writing. Crossover isn't always successful!
April 29, 2020
Maloo the Kangaroo seems to have lost his hop...will he be able to get it back with the help of his friends? Lovely illustrations, sparse text. It is never entirely clear why Maloo stops being able to jump in the first place, nor why he spontaneously gets it back. The action scenes seem a little overly complicated for younger kids, but older kids will enjoy helping you tell the story.
Thank you to Tundra Books and LibraryThing for the advanced copy of this book!*
*This did not affect my review or rating.
Thank you to Tundra Books and LibraryThing for the advanced copy of this book!*
*This did not affect my review or rating.
February 10, 2020
I absolutely love the illustrations and that's what drew us in initially. The text and plot are very simple, Maloo needs help from his friends to find the desire to hop again. I do believe this book can open the way for deeper discussions about anxiety or depression and am happy to see more picture books touch on these subjects.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
February 20, 2020I find myself conflicted with this one. I get that Maloo is fighting depression but I feel like the book lacking something. It is really simple but I don't feel like kids are going to really get it though we can certainly explain things. I am marking it as a 3 star but if goodreads would actually let us do half ratings it would be a 3.5
Read
June 11, 2021A gentle story with soft illustrations. Maloo is clearly sad, and is unable to communicate what is wrong. His friends try to cheer him up in different ways until Maloo’s mood lightens.
While this might not track with everyone’s experiences with sadness, I found it useful for talking through feelings and discussing ways to help each other manage those feelings.
While this might not track with everyone’s experiences with sadness, I found it useful for talking through feelings and discussing ways to help each other manage those feelings.
December 18, 2019
When Maloo can't seem to find it in him to hop, his friends help out. With encouragement he finally does it. Soft illustrations and a cute story about friendship, staying positive and not giving up make a nice story to share with little ones.
March 16, 2020
A nice gentle story about a friend who is feeling down and their friends try to pick them back up. I do wish they gave some indication as to why Maloo didn't feel good or have their friends inquire. I love the illustrations!
May 29, 2020
Maloo is a kangaroo that one day doesn't feel like jumping anymore. His friends try to help out.
I really enjoyed this story. It was written well for the target age group...easy to understand, using animals and easy words/concepts.
I really enjoyed this story. It was written well for the target age group...easy to understand, using animals and easy words/concepts.
March 14, 2021
A fake-it-'til-you-make-it story about working through sadness. Could be used in storytime about emotions, then follow it with the kangaroos have pouches song. Requires descriptions/conversation. Would be a great one-on-one to open up conversations about emotions. Very pretty illustrations.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews