Charming and gentle. Paddington-esque, but with a tapir! Perfect for 5 . ( )

Bambang forever! I don't care about anything else, IT'S A TAPIR. And they are not pigs!

Mango Allsorts is a girl with many abilities, not least the ability to keep working at things that are hard. One day, coming back from her karate lesson, she sees a strange lump in the road. A lump which turns out to be a very frightened creature called Bambang, who does NOT like tigers. Bambang is not a pig - he is a tapir. Together they have lots of adventures. There's the time Bambang tries on hats and gets into trouble with Dr. Cynthia Prickle-Posset, the adventure of finding a just-right swimming pool, meeting George, and finally the story of the tapir's song.

Vulliamy's purple, black and white illustrations are an exquisite accompaniment to this most delightful of British tales. Mango is pert and charming, with determination and character. Bambang is just the kind of tapir everyone would want to be friends with - a little lumpish at times, but always adorable and eager to be friends.

Verdict: Sometimes British books like this are too British to appeal to American audiences, but I really don't care on this one. It's a tapir! It's funny and adorable and sweet. A great read-aloud to younger children and a fun choice for beginning chapter readers who like quirky books. Mango is also a strong female character, which I love. Recommended.

ISBN: 9780763682262; Published 2016 by Candlewick; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Purchased for the library

This delightful first collection of stories dedicated to the adventures of a young London girl named Mango Allsorts and her tapir friend Bambang opens with Mango and the Muddle, which follows its eponymous heroine as she encounters her first tapir, cowering on a zebra crossing. After much comforting - Bambang had been running from a tiger for some time, and was convinced every moving object was the appearance of that animal - and some take-charge attitude with regard to some of the officious adults present, Mango convinces her new friend to come home with her for banana pancakes, syrup and cream. In Bambang's Pool, our favorite tapir, now living with Mango in London, runs away from the swimming pool when his efforts at diving get him in trouble with the lifeguard. Mango must track him down in the park, with the help of a tree-climbing, toffee-eating boy named George. Bambang Puts on a Hat sees girl and tapir confronting the nasty Dr. Cynthia Prickle-Posset, a collector of unusual specimens, who attempts to capture Bambang after his hi-jinks on the apartment-building stairs. Finally, in The Song of the Tapir, Bambang helps Mango to see the beauty in the clarinet piece she has been practicing for a concert, and conquers his own fears, to join her on stage during the performance.

Published this past autumn in the UK, Mango & Bambang: The Not-a-Pig is due out in the USA this coming spring, which is cause for celebration! With an engaging tale of a girl who is good at all sorts of things, but who is lacking in companionship, and a timid tapir who learns to conquer some of his fears and to embrace the adventures that friendship with a little girl can bring; as well as charming illustrations that capture the emotional register of each scene (not to mention the frequent fun!), this is a book that is sure to appeal to younger children who are just getting started with chapter-books. I appreciated Mango's sensitivity to the needs of her new friend, and the fact that for all her many virtues and talents, she is not without flaw, and occasionally needs help herself. As for Bambang, he is simply adorable, and will cause more than one child to long for a tapir for a friend. I also enjoyed Clara Vulliamy's judicious use of color here - her illustrations are done in black, white and purple - and the inclusion of various type-faces - different sizes, different orientations on the page - in her artwork. All in all, a lovely little book, one I would recommend to beginning chapter-book readers. I am glad indeed that it will be available to American children! ( )