BOSSY FLOSSY

Flossy bosses everyone—even adults—until she meets the equally bossy Edward.

The artwork, which incorporates crayon, watercolor, and cutouts, is immediately eye-catching and endearing. The initial double-page spread shows a large-headed, pale-skinned, carrot-topped moppet—obviously Flossy—pointing authoritatively at a colorful array of dolls and stuffed animals strewn about her bedroom. Large letters declare “Flossy was bossy.” Underneath is a stack of dialogue bubbles, each colored differently and each with a different command, including “Sit up straight,” “Look at me,” and “Listen to me.” Faces of children in school and on the playground reveal multiple ethnicities, and Edward looks to be of East Asian descent. Readers will giggle at the dubious expression on the Flossy-bossed lunch lady’s face and may even gasp when Flossy tries to send her teacher to timeout. They will nod knowingly when Flossy—and later her friend/nemesis Edward—must sit in timeout themselves. Although the text is mostly accessible for beginning readers, there is some inconsistency in when to read up and down and when to read across pages—important considerations for novices. If there is an underlying lesson, it is that bossy children will tone down their ways when they meet their matches.

No matter if the premise is a bit thin; the humorous art and the use of well-known phrases such as “You are not the boss of me” will encourage rereads