April 1, 2022
Grades K-3 For the parents of the infant in this picture book, the time goes by in a blur of sleepless nights, endless diapers, and supersonic screaming until suddenly the infant learns to walk and becomes a blur herself, running unknowingly into traffic and leaping onto beds in superhero capes, while shell-shocked parents race behind. And although the time occasionally stops for sweet moments, that baby is soon a young woman driving herself to college, and the parents waving goodbye don't know how it happened so fast. It's all a blur. Similar to their previous collaboration, Drawn Together (2018), L� and Santat again use Asian American characters to tell the story of family members in a state of tension finding their way to tenderness. The Blur is an unapologetic two-hankie weeper of a tale for anyone who has witnessed a child growing up faster than predicted (which would be, let's face it, all parents). Most notably, while L�'s words are moving, Santat's trademark emotionally exaggerated artwork is as humorous and high energy as ever, with layers of images providing the skillful time lapse familiar to any parent. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: This prestigious pair knows how to produce crowd-pleasers, and this will be particularly popular when graduation season rolls around.
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April 15, 2022
The Blur is a whirlwind force from the moment the infant arrives home until the day the child drives off to college. Simultaneously a spoof on the superhero genre and a tribute to parenthood, L�'s text reads like a voice-over narrator describing the origin story of a new hero: the Blur! Beginning as an infant, the baby immediately displays hilarious superpowers, such as "the supersonic voice" (the little one's loud wails) and "fantastically elastic limbs" (middle-of-the-night bed sharing). Santat's comical depiction of this exhausted and shellshocked Asian family is sure to elicit knowing smiles from parents as the child learns to walk and becomes the Blur, racing "headfirst toward danger" and leaving "no corner unexplored." Spreads depicting the trouble the child gets into, as well as a myriad of idyllic scenes of childhood, show time zipping along as the Blur morphs into a teen. Before you know it, the parents are celebrating their child in cap and gown, then saying goodbye as their confident young adult drives off to college. The tongue-in-cheek tone and energetic illustrations rendered in colored pencil, watercolor, and Photoshop propel the reader through an entire childhood in a nostalgic blur, and every parent will relate to the feeling of loving, holding on, and then letting go of this time that passes so quickly. Young readers will appreciate the superhero jokes but may not connect with the overall theme of the book, and that's OK. (This book was reviewed digitally.) This one's for the parents. Enjoy. (Picture book. 3-8)
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May 2, 2022
“Time flies” defines parenthood in these pages from the previous collaborators, which trace a child’s maturation from babyhood to adult. Infancy, Lê writes, is “a total blur” of sleepless nights and smelly diapers for the caretakers of a child with a “supersonic voice, fantastically elastic limbs,” and other super traits. But it’s followed all too soon by toddlerhood, when the child becomes “THE BLUR”—a creature who is “ALWAYS ON THE MOVE!” Santat’s digitally enhanced watercolor and colored pencil vignettes follow an Asian-cued family through a progression of familiar signposts; the young force of unstoppable energy zooms through pool time, piano lessons, birthday parties, scouting, learning to drive, graduation, and, finally, leaving for college, with occasional moments when “time stood perfectly still.” The target audience should get a kick out of seeing adults consistently but lovingly befuddled by the youth’s growth and antics, but one suspects the real audience is parents themselves—especially those looking back from the perspective of a graduation ceremony or other milestone. Ages 3–7.
Starred review from June 10, 2022
K-Gr 3-"While those early days were a total blur, every now and then, time stood perfectly still. Until one day...a first step, and the child became...THE BLUR." From infancy, to toddlerhood, and, in a blink of an eye, driving, L� and Santat illustrate how quickly a child grows in the eyes of a parent. Similar to their prior collaboration, Drawn Together, L� and Santat simultaneously showcase an Asian American family in the roles of the main characters, while also inviting all families to find themselves within the pages. Parents and caregivers will surely relate to the story. While it is traditional to provide some graduates with a book to honor their journey, this book may encourage a new tradition of gifting the parents and caregivers who assisted every step of the way. VERDICT This relatable tale documents the quick journey from infancy to graduation, which seems to happen in a blur. This book is a must-purchase.-Katherine Forsman
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