THAT’S NOT FUNNY!

Johnson lowers the boom—or more precisely, the elephant—on a lad who takes delight in the misfortunes of others in a pointed, if unconvincing, import illustrated in a postmodern, retro-’50s style. Life is a barrel of laughs for Alfie, as he watches a dog chase a mail carrier, his pet mouse Mr. Swiss trip up a guard at Buckingham Palace, a jogger run headlong into a tree and other mishaps. A trip to the circus, though, leaves Alfie only bored—and annoyed when, chasing after Mr. Swiss, he ends up underneath a startled elephant, and responds to the amusement of the crowd looking on with, “THAT’S NOT FUNNY!!!” Begging to differ, the author then goes on to teach readers how to spell and say a new word that describes Alfie’s sense of humor: “Schadenfreude.” Who knows—along with building vocabulary, this might give readers food for thought. But probably not. (Picture book. 6-8)