A humorous story with over-the-top morals, uneven rhyme schemes, and comic illustrations.
A magical creature punishes rampaging students in this third installment of a picture book series.
Classrooms are a fantastic place to learn—unless they’re in Brat School. There, Fong (BetterNot! And the Tale of Brat Sports, 2016, etc.) depicts a teacher hiding behind his desk and biting his nails, the word HELP! written across the chalkboard, while his students run amok. When the principal warns the pupils they better change their ways or BetterNot will arrive, they tie a rocket to his feet and send him soaring. Unsurprisingly, the threatened BetterNot, resembling a genie crossed with a wraith, appears in a purple fog to set the kids on the right track. For each appropriately named child, there’s a matching punishment. Cass Clown is stuck in clown makeup in a painting like Munch’s The Scream while Ira is transported to Mars for interrupting before the teacher explains the red planet has no air. Some young readers will find BetterNot’s punishments appropriate while others will likely wonder if poor Ira died before learning his lesson or if Andy Disbeliever survived the aquarium tank he’d doubted was wet. Though Del Vecchio’s (BetterNot! And the Tale of Brat Sports, 2016, etc.) text rhymes, the meter is all over the place. Fong’s amusing images showcase BetterNot’s whimsical acts and dark sense of justice while showing a diverse cast of misbehavers and teachers.
A humorous story with over-the-top morals, uneven rhyme schemes, and comic illustrations.Pub Date: Aug. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-692-93150-9
Page Count: 36
Publisher: BetterNot Enterprises
Review Posted Online: Dec. 1, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Trisha is ready to start at a new school, where no one will know she has dyslexia. At first, she is heartbroken to be in Miss Peterson’s special-ed class, aka, “the junkyard.” But Miss Peterson treats the children as anything but junk, showing them that everyone has a unique talent. Polacco’s trademark style is fully present here; her sensitively drawn alter ego shines with depth of feeling. When bullying occurs, Miss Peterson proves her students are worthwhile by planning a junkyard field trip, where they find valuable objects to be used in exciting ways. Trisha’s group repairs a plane, and the class buys an engine for it. Then a beloved class member dies, and the children must find a way to honor him. While the plot meanders somewhat, the characters are appealing, believable and provide a fine portrayal of a truly special class. Children will be drawn in by the story’s warmth and gentle humor and will leave with a spark of inspiration, an appreciation of individual differences and a firm anti-bullying message, all underscored by the author’s note that concludes the book. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-399-25078-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
For Berkner’s fans; there are much better books about children visiting imaginative lands.
Berkner’s children’s song gets the picture-book treatment with illustrations from Garoche.
What kid hasn’t made a massive pillow fort and imagined all sorts of adventures? Well, Berkner’s premise is that there is a land where everything is made of pillows, and three lucky children get to visit there. (They appear to be siblings, perhaps a blended family: Mom and one girl are black; Dad, one boy, and one girl are white.) The illustrations transition between depictions of obvious imaginative play in a bedroom to a fantasy world and back again at the end, when the parents peek in at the three asleep. Garoche’s art consists of photos of papercut artwork arranged in dioramas with some Photoshop details. Reminiscent of Michael Garland’s work (though more pastel in color) or that of Elly McKay (though less ethereal), the illustrations are a mixed bag, with layers and hard edges juxtaposed against all the pillows. The king and queen of the song are obviously stand-ins for the parents. Children who know the tune may not sit still for a reading, while those who don’t may wonder at the repeated refrain.
For Berkner’s fans; there are much better books about children visiting imaginative lands. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-6467-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
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