Author/Illustrator: David Wisniewski
Adults continually tell kids to comb their hair every day, not to blow bubbles through a straw, and to always, ALWAYS eat their vegetables and drink their milk. When asked why, they give plausible answers, such as “to keep it neat”, “because it’s rude”, or “to help you grow strong and healthy.” But grown-ups don’t tell kids the REAL reasons behind all of these rules.
At great risk to his safety, David Wisniewski disguised himself and infiltrated several locations where the super-secret Grown-Up Files are kept. He escaped with files about carnivorous vegetables, nuclear cows, sumo cells, and the dangers of getting your face sucked into your glass. Despite the danger (there are those who did not want this information revealed), he has bravely published these shocking facts. Now, some of the best-kept secrets of grown-ups are revealed to those who can handle the truth.
Wisniewski used his distinctive cut-paper style to make the illustrations, and each section is prefaced by a description of the narrow escape he had in order to get the file. A half-shredded document stamped with “CLASSIFIED” and “SECURITY CLEARANCE A” gives the rule and the commonly accepted reason behind it, but the true reason has always been torn away. The reader must turn the page before the actual explanation is revealed.
The over-the-top humor will appeal to kids and adults alike. My favorite file is the one about why you should eat your vegetables: So that they don’t eat you! The illustration of the rampaging broccoli is enough to make you glad vegetables have since been subdued. You might even be inspired to eat a few pieces of broccoli, just to keep it in its place.
Showing posts with label Children’s picture book. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Children’s picture book. Show all posts
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Widget
Author: Lyn Rossiter McFarland
Illustrator: Jim McFarland
One cold, wet evening, Widget has had enough of being a stray dog, so he slips into Mrs. Diggs’ nice warm house. Too bad there are six cats already in residence, and they don’t like dogs!
Well, Widget knows a good situation when he sees one, so he is not about to give up. He adapts to his surroundings and manages to fit in with the cats (even at times forgetting that he is a dog) until he finds out that there are some moments when only a dog will do.
This is a fun book for reading aloud, with a group or one-on-one. The cartoon-like illustrations extend the humor of the story, especially when Widget begins acting like a cat.
Illustrator: Jim McFarland
One cold, wet evening, Widget has had enough of being a stray dog, so he slips into Mrs. Diggs’ nice warm house. Too bad there are six cats already in residence, and they don’t like dogs!
Well, Widget knows a good situation when he sees one, so he is not about to give up. He adapts to his surroundings and manages to fit in with the cats (even at times forgetting that he is a dog) until he finds out that there are some moments when only a dog will do.
This is a fun book for reading aloud, with a group or one-on-one. The cartoon-like illustrations extend the humor of the story, especially when Widget begins acting like a cat.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Bad Kitty
Author/Illustrator: Nick Bruel
When Kitty hears that there is no cat food (only an alphabet of icky things like asparagus and other vegetables), she turns to the dark side and becomes a very, very, bad, bad, BAD kitty. She gets into 26 kinds of mischief before the announcement that someone has returned from the grocery store with yummy things for Kitty.
After hearing—alphabetically, of course—about the wonderful things that are now available for her to eat (Buffalo Burritos and Quail Quiche, among other delicacies), she becomes a good kitty again. She makes amends for all her earlier mischief from A to Z, and all turns out well.
That is, until she meets the new puppy…
This book carves out its own niche among the variety of alphabet books that are out there. Nick Bruel’s illustration style is perfectly suited to kitty and her misadventures—my favorite is when she “was Violent with the vet”. Kitty’s expression when she is told she gets to share her food with the puppy does not bode well, but it is left to the reader’s imagination exactly what happens next. I have a pretty good guess, though:
When Kitty hears that there is no cat food (only an alphabet of icky things like asparagus and other vegetables), she turns to the dark side and becomes a very, very, bad, bad, BAD kitty. She gets into 26 kinds of mischief before the announcement that someone has returned from the grocery store with yummy things for Kitty.
After hearing—alphabetically, of course—about the wonderful things that are now available for her to eat (Buffalo Burritos and Quail Quiche, among other delicacies), she becomes a good kitty again. She makes amends for all her earlier mischief from A to Z, and all turns out well.
That is, until she meets the new puppy…
This book carves out its own niche among the variety of alphabet books that are out there. Nick Bruel’s illustration style is perfectly suited to kitty and her misadventures—my favorite is when she “was Violent with the vet”. Kitty’s expression when she is told she gets to share her food with the puppy does not bode well, but it is left to the reader’s imagination exactly what happens next. I have a pretty good guess, though:
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