I found The Quicksand Book at a library book sale and, seeing Tomie dePaola’s name on the cover, I didn’t hesitate to bring it home. I’ve come to trust his storytelling so completely that I didn’t even flip through it first. I assumed it would be funny, warm, and probably rooted in folklore or family life — as so many of his books are. I was shocked when I found out that it is a science book!
And yet, here it is: a funny, informative, entirely charming picture book about the nature of quicksand. And a well done offering at that.
The story opens with a jungle girl swinging on a vine that breaks, dropping her into a quicksand pit. A jungle boy appears on the scene, and rather than rushing to help, he calmly begins explaining the science of quicksand — how it forms, how it behaves, what happens when animals fall in, and what a person can safely do to get out. It’s classic dePaola: playful, unexpected, and wise. The characters, with their exaggerated expressions and humorous back-and-forth, keep the tone light, even as the facts are precise and genuinely educational. I learned a few things I didn’t know.
Of course, once he’s finished explaining and pulls the girl out, the jungle boy promptly loses his balance and falls in himself — a perfect, comic ending.
This book was a delightful surprise. It’s not a fairy tale, not spiritual, and not quite like any other dePaola I’ve read. But it is entirely his — full of charm, character, and just the right blend of silly and smart. It’s a rare gem: a picture book that genuinely teaches science while making readers laugh. I’d recommend it to homeschooling families, science-loving kids, or any librarian looking for something for a biome bag!