A classic scenario—stage-struck but paralyzingly shy, little Liza Shetland (a sheep) rises to an emergency, saves the show, and becomes a star—is presented with unusual wit and panache. From the beginning, Liza's dreams of glory are amusingly at odds with her stage fright; she can't bring herself to tell Dad what she wants for breakfast, let alone try out for the big part of ``Amelia Ewehart'' at school. Still, she learns the lines while working backstage, and when Cashmere, so cool at tryouts, suddenly freezes with a terror surpassing Liza's own, she's ready. Levine's text, brisk and funny, has an undercurrent of sympathy that recalls Kevin Henkes's books. Lanfredi's humans-as- sheep are delightfully caricatured in vigorous line and sunny colors; the kids waiting to audition, a distraught teacher, and an audience of expectant parents are a hoot. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: March 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-8037-1194-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1993
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
With the right kid in the right mindset, this escape into ludicrous answers may yield some very real explorations.
Musician, singer/songwriter, and multimedia artist Fite takes a headlong dive into the world of the absurd.
After being introduced to a bucket that looks empty but is in fact “FULL of QUESTIONS,” readers are asked a number of them. “Why do seals clap?” “Why do kids lose their teeth?” “What are hot dogs (actually) made of?” Each question is accompanied by three or four potential answers of varying silliness (“Hot dogs are made of lost teeth”). Meanwhile, wild typography and design and supremely busy black-and-white images give the entire book an outsider artist vibe comfortable with its own finely controlled chaos. Kids who balk at the lack of colors may find that the sole two-page spread of vibrant hues and shades at the heart of the book more than makes up for the dearth elsewhere. While each answer is silly, the questions act as prompts that could, if shared with inquisitive youngsters eager for discussion, lead to larger conversations or fun writing projects. And aside from an out-of-place cutesy note to readers at the start (wherein the author describes himself as “100% pooky-pooky”), the title does a good job of respecting the intelligence and curiosity of its intended audience. Humans depicted are diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
With the right kid in the right mindset, this escape into ludicrous answers may yield some very real explorations. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 7, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-66591-831-2
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
Score one for cleanliness. Like (almost) all Munsch, funny as it stands but even better read aloud, with lots of exaggerated...
The master of the manic patterned tale offers a newly buffed version of his first published book, with appropriately gloppy new illustrations.
Like the previous four iterations (orig. 1979; revised 2004, 2006, 2009), the plot remains intact through minor changes in wording: Each time young Jule Ann ventures outside in clean clothes, a nefarious mud puddle leaps out of a tree or off the roof to get her “completely all over muddy” and necessitate a vigorous parental scrubbing. Petricic gives the amorphous mud monster a particularly tarry look and texture in his scribbly, high-energy cartoon scenes. It's a formidable opponent, but the two bars of smelly soap that the resourceful child at last chucks at her attacker splatter it over the page and send it sputtering into permanent retreat.
Score one for cleanliness. Like (almost) all Munsch, funny as it stands but even better read aloud, with lots of exaggerated sound effects. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-55451-427-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Annick Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 7, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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