Imogene Comes Back!

Imogene #2

by David Small

35 years after Imogene woke up with antlers, she's back! The follow up to the classic, Imogene's Antlers by Caldecott Award winning David Small.

One day, Imogene woke up to discover that she had sprouted antlers overnight. Her family was confused, her mother was distraught and there was no explanation. Then she woke up the next day and they were gone, but were replaced by something just as curious.

Now Imogene has found she has a new curious feature every day. Some are helpful, some are sweet, some are downright strange. But all of them upset her poor mother who just can't handle how improper it all is. Yet even as Imogene discovers something new every day, she always remains Imogene at heart.

David Small returns to one of his most beloved characters in this charming tale.

Genres: Picture Books, Humor, Childrens, Fantasy, Family, Animals, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

Published September 15, 2020

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

David Small is the recipient of the Caldecott Medal, a Christopher Medal, and the E. B. White Award for his picture books, which include Imogene's Antlers, The Gardener, and So, You Want to Be President? He lives in Mendon, Michigan.

Reviews

[Jenni Heins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imogene could have stayed away.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Apparently, this is a sequel, meant to be able to stand on its own. I don't recall having ever read the original, so I'm sitting here wondering why this girl keeps waking up with different animal features. And why does it suddenly stop? The adults in her life either take it in stride or give unhelpful suggestions of what to do with Imogene. I finished the book feeling confused like I had missed a key element to the story-maybe that is the first book?
This didn't even feel like a story, more like a list of the different animal attributes Imogene acquires. And we never really get Imogene's thoughts or opinions. It is all third person, with the focus on everyone around here. That really makes the story feel hollow.

[Mackenzie Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't love this, which was disappointing to my childhood self.

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for my 365 Kids Book challenge. You can see all the books on their own shelf. Even as I am trying to catch up on my backlog of reviews in order to clear the TBR shelves for monsters, murder, and suchlike for the two months of All Hallow's Read and Halloween Bingo, I walked out of my libraries yesterday with more books than I could carry into the house in one trip.

Small delights me from his autobiography through all the collaborations and his solo picture books. Imogene and her family, except her mother, have no problem adapting to the daily changes. Sweet but funny enough to not feel saccharine.

Library copy

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh.

[kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know it's supposed to be a sequel, but it screams outdated and out-of-touch. I also find the family's "help" problematic. On the page Imogene appears as an elephant, it looks like the "help" in aprons have much darker skin than the clearly caucasian affluent family. I'm surprised this got green-lighted by the publisher in 2021. And what about the dig about sending her to "art school"? shesh.

[Abby Johnson]

Hmm... will kids who didn't grow up with the original Imogene's Antlers care about this book? Will it make sense to them? Will it get them to seek out the original (one of my personal favorites from my childhood)? These are all questions I don't know the answers to. It feels like half a book to me.

[Marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imogene is a classic, and I loved the original story. I didn't feel the same way about this sequel released 35 years later. I think children today who aren't familiar with the original will be puzzled by the girl's family, the house, the help. Felt really dated to me.

[Emily Myhren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as satisfying as the original.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imogene returns, but she doesn't have antlers or a peacock's tail. This time she has an extended neck and various other peculiarities as the days pass by. Her mother, father, and uncle Alphonse all have ideas on what to do, but when she comes down the stairs one morning as a normal looking person, stranger events occur. A fun read and follow-up to the original story written 35 years earlier.

[Rebecca Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

At LAST. This sequel has been a long time coming, as the original is one of my favorite childhood stories. Imogene wakes with different animal anomalies every day as her family loses their mind. This story is a wonderful lesson in celebrating differences, and seeking to learn rather than shunning what we don't understand.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really like this one much. I didn't like the style of the illustrations, especially the uncle biting his fingernails. I didn't like the girl walking up with different animal parts everyday. I felt bad for the mother.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's wonderful to have Imogene back! I especially loved the ending twist ;-)

Libraries and bookstores need to prepared for a run on both the original the follow up!

[Brindi Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good but peculiar. I feel most kids who pick this up might find it a little dated, but for those who are familiar with the previous book from years ago will enjoy it.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuation of the Imogene story. Well done, worthy of the original. Nice little twist at the end!

[Amy Allgeier · Rating 3 out of 5]

I LOVED Imogene's Antlers and this was a cute sequel.

[Marissa Elera · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Small is a darling. It's nice to see Imogene back.

[Rebecca Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

A silly book about a girl who, to the horror of her family, takes on a different animal form each day.

[Syntha Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great sequel

[Kristin Nelson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not impressed. Plot was illogical and I felt it was a bit hard for my preschoolers to follow. The vocabulary was a little much for them too. Perhaps second graders would enjoy this more.

[Allie Outhouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nostalgic images but not enough story to make it worthwhile.

[Marcie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think kids will like this as much as the first.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely needs to be read in conjunction with 'Imogene's antlers'.

[Runa]

Hah! I think I might like this one more than the original! Fun to read them back to back :)

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate to give David Small two stars, but this book is weird.
The illustrations of the cat and the dog are the best part.

[LizthePrude · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had to wait 35 years for the sequel. Worth it!

[Aurora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kiiiiiiinda don’t see the point in this sequel.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imogene returns with all sorts of new animal attachments. Readers will appreciate the humor as the family reacts to each. Love the ending when someone else gets antlers.

[Andrés · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrifying introduction to the surreal with punitive adults. Feels like a 1940s book written in 2020.

[Marcy Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good sequel to the first book with great illustrations.