humor

Jim: A Cautionary Tale

| Tasha

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Jim: a Cautionary Tale by Hilaire Belloc and Mini Grey

Looking for a picture book that is far from sweet and a bit wicked?  Then look no further!  Mini Grey takes the classic tale by Belloc and turns it into a book with lots of tiny details and pop-up pages that make for great fun in reading.  The tale is one of Jim, who went to the zoo with his nurse and then slipped away from her.  He hadn’t gotten far when a lion grabbed him and began to eat him from the feet up.  Jim called for help and a zookeeper came running, but was too late, only Jim’s head was left.  The story is written in verse that is dry and naughty.  The voice of the poem makes what happens that much more unexpected and delightful.  Grey’s illustrations have a modern feel that works well with the tone here.  This is a picture book best shared with children who are slightly older and will understand the dark humor at work.

Belloc’s poem makes a great point from which Grey could build such a book.  Though the writing is decidedly Edwardian, Grey’s modern illustrations work well with it.  Her small touches enliven the book, getting readers interacting with panels to open, a zoo map to view, and a lion’s claws to dodge.  Though we may see modern books as those with a darker edge, it took an Edwardian author to create one of the more dark picture books I have read in a long time.  Children looking for a sudden happy ending will not find one.  They will only find the sly humor of an urn shaped just like Jim’s head that holds his remains.

This is one of those books that readers will either love or hate.  Me?  I absolutely adored it and read it again and again just to get that same jolt from the ending.  You know what kids will love this book.  Get it into their hands!  It would make an ideal holiday gift for that special child with a wicked sense of humor.

Reviewed from copy received from Knopf.

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There’s No Place Like School: Classroom Poems

| Tasha

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There’s No Place Like School selected by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Jane Manning

Prelutsky has selected poems that focus on school in this funny and terrific collection of poetry.  The poems are written by thirteen poets and are filled with child appeal and an understanding of the mind of a child.  Turning from one to the next takes the reader through a school day, from heading out the door and the school bus ride to the show and tell and music class and eventually the ride back home.  The poems are well selected, offering a blend of different humor that makes moving from one poem to the next a delight. 

Manning’s illustrations offer a bright and colorful view of school.  She happily embraces the humor of each poem, from the strange foods at the school cafeteria to the delights of milk squirting out of a nose.  All are offered in a quirky and positive way.

An ideal book for the first days of school, this book will be appreciated by children of many ages.  Appropriate for ages 5-9.

Reviewed from library copy.

 

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That’s Not Funny

| Tasha

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That’s Not Funny! by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Adrian Reynolds

When Hyena put a banana peel in Giraffe’s path, he set off a chain of events that he found extremely funny.  When Giraffe slips on the banana peel, he knocked into a tree.  Which in turn caused a coconut to fall onto Hippo’s head.  Hyena kept laughing and laughing, even as Hippo stumbled around very dizzy and stepped on Snake.  Snake bit Ostrich, Ostrich kicked Rhino, and it went on and on.  Until finally Hyena was laughing so hard that he stepped on his own banana peel, hit the same tree, bonked himself on the head with a coconut and fell into a pile of Elephant’s poo!  Now it was the turn of all of the other animals to laugh at Hyena who doesn’t see what was so funny.  Action-filled and bright-colored, this book has huge child-appeal right down to the stinky ending.

Willis may let the gag run on a little long, but her timing is great.  The book offers a huge dose of humor for the preschool set, designed with plenty of sight gags to keep them eagerly listening.  Reynolds’ illustrations are large, bright and very child-friendly.  His illustrations add to the hilarity of the book nicely.

This book is one that children will enjoy again and again.  It will also make a star of a book for a story time and with so many different animals in it, it will fit easily into different programs.  Appropriate for 3-5 year olds.

Reviewed from copy received from Andersen Press USA.

Mr. Putney’s Quacking Dog: Word Play Fun

| Tasha

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Mr. Putney’s Quacking Dog by Jon Agee

I love puns.  Frankly, I couldn’t have groan up in my family without loving them.  Winking smile  So this book is write up my alley!  Mr. Putney has a lot of animal friends, but you have to guess their names.  The word play is a combination of illustrations and words with half of the joke coming from the text and half from the pictures.  Some of the word play is easier than others, but all is amusing and some will have you laughing out loud.  This book would be a stitch with a group of kids who enjoy reading and words.  In fact, it would make a great basis of an art project or for a writing project to create their own puns. 

Agee’s illustrations are in his signature style.  Outlined in thick black lines, they are disarmingly simple and filled with a sly humor.  An ideal companion to the book’s concept, they add appeal to the word play.  Mr. Putney is a straight-laced character whose reactions are satisfying and funny as he deals with each of the unique animals in the book.  There is a certain delight in seeing him doused, thrown into the air, or just shocked by a loud noise.

Get this into the hands of kids who love guessing games and word play.  Or just into the hands of any punny folks you know.  Appropriate for ages 5-8. 

Reviewed from library copy.

Binky to the Rescue: A Second Silly Adventure

| Tasha

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Binky to the Rescue by Ashley Spires

This sequel to Binky the Space Cat continues Binky’s adventures as a cat who believes he lives in outer space.  The graphic novel format is an ideal way to showcase the wry humor of the story.  In this latest adventure, Binky is busily battling his enemies, the insects that he considers aliens.  But when he pushes too hard on a window screen, he falls out the window and into the backyard, or outer space!  Luckily, Binky thinks quickly and finds a oxygen source (the garden hose) and ties himself down securely to keep from floating off (on a garden gnome.)  He takes notes on alien activity and as he is doing that notices that his co-pilot Ted has also fallen into outer space.  But before he can rescue Ted, he is attacked by wasps and then taken inside by his human.  Now Binky must launch a brave rescue of Ted by re-entering the vastness of outer space.

Spires’ illustrations are very funny, showing the truth of Binky’s situation clearly to the reader.  Much of the humor is physical and vaudevillian, playing out in the illustrations themselves.  The use of graphic novel format will make this series one that children, especially reluctant readers, will pick up and enjoy.  Even better, Spires is not afraid of using some fart humor every now and then.  Perfect for the target age.

The text is just as funny as the illustrations, taking a wonderful tone that will immediately have readers connecting it with science fiction films.  Nicely, the narration plays entirely into Binky’s fantasy, so readers themselves have to get the joke of the books.  And they definitely will.

A great sequel to the first book, this book should be added to elementary school graphic novel collections and children’s collections in public libraries.  Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from copy received from Kids Can Press.

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Interrupting Chicken – Blog Tour!

| Tasha

I’m very happy to be the concluding blog on the Interrupting Chicken blog tour!

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Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein

Stein’s new picture book will earn him even more fans in the picture book world.  It is time for little red chicken to go to bed.  Her father agrees to read her a story, but tells her not to interrupt.  She promises not to.  So he begins Hansel and Gretel but just as they are about to enter the witch’s house, little red chicken interrupts and changes the story.  Her father tries again with Little Red Riding Hood with exactly the same result.  Finally, after little red chicken pleads for another chance, he tries Chicken Little.  She interrupts again and is still wide awake.  So her sleepy father climbs into bed himself and has her read him a story.  I wonder if interrupting runs in the family?

This book is a charmer and will have children laughing gleefully along as little red chicken continues to interrupt at just the right (or wrong) time.  Stein’s short introductions to the familiar fairy tales nicely set up each story and lead to a climactic point.  Then little red chicken’s interruptions add a great tone and speed to the text, filled with enthusiasm about the stories themselves.  My favorite part is that she is so drawn into the stories that she feels she must help the characters.  This book really is about the power of reading with a child. 

Stein’s illustrations are done in a great palette of colors with reds, teals, blues and greens that are vibrant and exciting.  The depth of color on the page is fantastic with few of the pages offering white space at all.  This gives it a very warm, cozy feel. 

A perfect read aloud, this book will be loved by anyone who hears it.  The comedic timing is built into the story and it is a pleasure to share it aloud.  Add this one to your pile of funny chicken books and your bedtime stories.  Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Candlewick.

 

Visit the other blogs that are part of the tour:

Aug. 9 – Picture Book Review, http://picturebookreview.com/

Aug. 10 – Katie’s Literature Lounge, http://katiesliteraturelounge.blogspot.com/

Aug. 11 – Readaholic, http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/

Aug. 12 – Two Writing Teachers, http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com

Aug. 13 – Not Just for Kids, http://notjustforkids.blogspot.com/

Aug. 14 – Milk and Cookies, Comfort Reading . . ., http://janasbooklist.blogspot.com/

Aug. 15 – Bookworm’s Dinner, http://bookwormsdinner.blogspot.com/

Aug. 16 – Where the Best Books Are, http://wherethebestbooksare.blogspot.com/

Pigs to the Rescue

| Tasha

Pigs to the Rescue by John Himmelman

I loved Chickens to the Rescue which was released in 2006 and this next book is just as winning and funny as the first!  Each day of the week Farmer Greenstalk and his family need help.  The tractor breaks down, the garden needs watering, a shoelace breaks and a kite gets stuck in the tree.  In each case, the pigs launch in to help out, always leaving the situation a bit worse than when they “helped.”  This zany book is sure to have guffaws galore as the illustrations are there to tell the rest of the story, especially the results of the pigs’ frenzied help.  The book ends with a wonderful twist that will have readers laughing all over again.

Himmelman allows his illustrations to really tell the story here.  The text is matter-of-fact, playing the straight man against the wild humor of the illustrations.  The cartoon feel of the pictures works perfectly here with the larger-than-life humor that is mostly physical.  Reluctant readers will enjoy the juxtaposition of the simple text against the vibrant background.

Sure to be a hit, this book will work best one-on-one because the illustrations should be enjoyed close up.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Henry Holt.

Griff Carver, Hallway Patrol

| Tasha

Griff Carver, Hallway Patrol by Jim Krieg

Griff Carver is a legend in school law enforcement, but he was expelled from his old school for going too far in the name of justice.  Now he’s at Rampart Middle School, a school that is perfect on the surface, but seething with crime underneath.  Griff is not a rookie.  He can sense littering out of the corner of his eye, nabbing the principal of the school on his first day on patrol.  Griff finds himself partnered with Tommy, a Camp Scout, who is unable to see past the thin veneer of respectability at his school.  Instead, Tommy accuses Griff of being the bad guy, resulting him getting him kicked off of Patrol Squad.  That won’t be enough to get Griff to stop seeking out the real bad guy who is running a fake hallpass scheme.

Tongue-in-cheek and riotously funny, this book takes the crime genre and sets it in middle school.  Fans of crime fiction and crime programs will love seeing some of the favorite tropes of the genre played with.  The lingo Griff uses is dead on, adding to the humor of the book.  The pairing of the veteran Griff with the naive Tommy is also directly out of the genre.  Adding to the feel is the use of recorded statements and Patrol Squad reports to form the storyline. 

The setting here is humorously drawn as well.  The middle school is depicted not in lengthy descriptions but through the eyes of hall patrol.  I especially enjoyed No Man’s Land, the area on the school grounds where the erasers are cleaned, forming a permanent fog of dust.  What could be more perfect for the genre than a meeting in the fog?

A great summer read, this book will have middle school readers laughing out loud, engaged with both the humor and the action itself.  Appropriate for ages 10-13.

Reviewed from copy received from Razor Bill.

Can I Play Too?

| Tasha

Can I Play Too? by Mo Willems

If you are ever looking for a picture book or easy reader sure to pull a child in and get them adoring books, pull any of Mo Willems books off the shelf.  His Elephant and Piggie series is so simple, yet profound and funny.  This latest book in the series is one of the best in the bunch.  Here we see Elephant, the careful and more serious character, and Piggie, who is loud and enthusiastic.  The two of them are best friends, which alone has led to some great books.  Add Snake who wants to join them in playing ball.  Of course, that’s a problem because Snake can’t really catch since he doesn’t have arms.  But that doesn’t mean he can’t try and it certainly doesn’t mean that Piggie can’t figure out a solution that will have them all playing together.

Willems is the master of brevity, capturing entire scenes in a few words and his simple illustrations.  His book are perfection for early readers but also make great read alouds thanks to his skill in writing.  His characters are beautifully drawn, offering so much in so few words and images.  It is magic on a page.

In this book, Willem’s natural humor comes pouring forth into a vaudeville-like scene that will have children laughing aloud, guffawing even.  It is a special easy reader that will have my teenage son crowding us on the couch to be able to see.  But then, all he needed to hear was that it was a Mo Willems book and it was funny. 

Guaranteed success between two covers, this book is laugh-out-loud funny, wry and as always with Willems, big hearted.  Appropriate for ages 3-6 and the occasional thirteen-year-old.

Reviewed from library copy.

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