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198 pp.
| Houghton
| October, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-0-544-14846-8$16.99
(4)
4-6
Illustrated by
LeUyen Pham.
Eleven-year-old Isabella pretends to be the daughter of a contessa (based on her actress aunt's soap-opera character) to impress girls at her fancy new school. When YouTube videos of her real, working-class Italian American family go viral, she fears being outed. Silly subplots and overblown characters nearly derail an otherwise amusing story--supplemented with Pham's comic-strip inserts--about identity, truthfulness, and media frenzy.
32 pp.
| Abrams
| April, 2015
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4197-1488-7$16.95
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Chuck Groenink.
An error in printing ("the 'F' looked like a 'P'") turns a history of figs into a history of pigs. From earliest-recorded mentions to varieties and recipes, the substitution proves inconsequential. The book's gimmick--fully integrated into masterful Photoshop, gouache, and pencil illustrations--is the back-and-forth between an outraged author and a nonplussed editor, a humorous dynamic young industry-outsiders may not fully appreciate.
32 pp.
| Little
| August, 2014
|
TradeISBN 978-0-316-24821-1$17.00
(2)
PS
Illustrated by
Dan Yaccarino.
A toddler gleefully fends off naptime by clapping, singing, etc. Just when it looks like sleep isn't in the cards, Mom pulls out her ace in the hole. The rhythmic text, with lots of "nos" and "yeses" ("Now Baby nap" / "NO NAP!") is kidlike without being cutesy. Yaccarino's unfussy geometric illustrations in subdued hues show a harried mom and an exuberant kid.
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Jack E. Davis.
The story begins with Goldilocks, after being chased by three bears, falling down a rabbit hole. A hare family takes the golden-tressed diva into their home. Her not "too hard" nor "too soft" demands quickly escalate to cashmere blankets and arugula. Humorously exaggerated illustrations capture the lengths the kind bunnies go to first satisfy--then rid themselves of--the spoiled guest.
32 pp.
| Simon
| March, 2011
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4424-0322-2$15.99
(4)
K-3
When the craze they invented--oinking--becomes passé, three porcine bigwigs have to brainstorm a new idea to stay in the limelight. The story's poke at fads and fame is amusing for adults but will likely fly over the heads of children. Boldly outlined digital illustrations in muted shades of aqua, purple, and pink show the hogs decked out in old-school corporate attire.
32 pp.
| HarperCollins/Tegen
| September, 2011
|
TradeISBN 978-0-06-171921-9$16.99
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Noah Z. Jones.
Rabbit Edward loves "stuff," to the exclusion of his friends. (Anthony: "Want to do something today?" Edward: "Can't...Doing stuff with my stuff.") After being trapped beneath an avalanche of knickknacks, he realizes how much he misses his friends--who coincidentally show up to dig him out. The text's light tone and the cartoon illustrations' playfulness make the story's antihoarding message go down easily.
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Keith Graves.
After noticing that Hilda Mae Heifer's moo sounds sad, her friends hold auditions to find her some musical accompaniment. However, once they amass a chorus of crooners, Hilda decides she's more cut out for dancing. Silly dialogue and goofy facial expressions give the animals great personality, while alliteration plus animal sounds make for an entertaining read-aloud experience.
40 pp.
| Scholastic/Orchard
| April, 2009
|
TradeISBN 978-0-439-72768-6$16.99
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Brian Ajhar.
Bernice Sparklestein, Fairy Godmother, has lost her magic power, so Edith B. Cuspid, Tooth Fairy Second Class, endeavors to find her friend a new calling: fairy duster, snowflake creator--whatever. The humorous story is abetted by comic illustrations. Its two mature protagonists, who call to mind a pair of Golden Girls, are more attuned to adult, rather than child, concerns.
32 pp.
| HarperCollins/Tegen
| May, 2009
|
TradeISBN 978-0-06-074433-5$17.99
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Henry Cole.
In their third adventure, wolves Willy and Wally disguise themselves as the "Handy-Dandy Lupino Brothers," planning to outsmart Mrs. Hen and eat her for dinner. Instead, she takes full advantage, leaving the wolves with heaps of housework to do and baby chicks to watch over. Playful alliterative language and humorously expressive cartoon illustrations carry the story.
32 pp.
| Simon
| August, 2009
|
TradeISBN 978-0-689-80246-1$15.99
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Barry Moser.
In Palatini's humorous take on Aesop's "The Fox and the Grapes," Fox enlists Bear, Beaver, Porcupine, and Possum to help grab some out-of-reach fruit. Concocting an elaborate scheme, Fox ignores the other animals' simpler, sounder solutions ("'I can give the tree a shake,' said Bear"). Moser's considered watercolors show realistic-looking creatures displaying human responses, from calculating to exasperated.
(4)
4-6
Fifth grader Zoey prepares for the sixth-grade "Cool Police," but it's tough when your hair sticks out and you love catching bullfrogs. By being herself, though, Zoey gets noticed by a girls' magazine, which likes her the way she is. The story is empowering, but the volume, with its multiple fonts, cartoons, and sketches, is overly designed and hard to follow.
32 pp.
| HarperCollins/Tegen
| May, 2008
|
TradeISBN 978-0-06-073897-6$16.99
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-06-073898-3$17.89
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Tim Bowers.
Gorgonzola is a little dinosaur with a hygiene problem. One birdie who's had enough of his malodorousness teaches him how to brush, floss, and bathe thoroughly. After vowing to wash everyday, Gorgonzola begins hanging out with friends instead of repelling them. Readers will enjoy the sweet-tempered but clueless main character and wisecracking sidekick shown in illustrations that suggest grossness without being repulsive.
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Matthew Reinhart.
Little alligator Louise is so proud of her "gleaming-white baby choppers" that she just can't seem to stop biting whatever--and whomever--happens to come within reach of her powerful jaws. Reinhart's humorous drawings set on white backgrounds capture the unabashed glee of a strong-willed toddler in motion, who does eventually learn the fine art of self-control--sort of ("BURP").
32 pp.
| HarperCollins/Tegen
| May, 2007
|
TradeISBN 978-0-06-052630-6$16.99
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-06-052631-3$17.89
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Steve Johnson
&
Lou Fancher.
In this reworking of "The Farmer in the Dell," the rat decides to eat the cheese. He's joined, in reverse order, by the characters from the song, culminating in a picnic for all. Their faces are particularly expressive; the textured collages are partly composed of camouflaged words and music notes. Pair this with the song for a rollicking storytime.
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Henry Cole.
Hankering to satisfy their sweet tooths, Willy and Wally Wolf conspire to chase down Mr. Baker's runaway gingerbread cookie. Scheme after scheme fails, and they give up and set their sights on a gingerbread house instead. Palatini humorously incorporates details from familiar fairy tales, and Cole's cartoon-style illustrations capture the silliness of the Bad Boys' second adventure.
32 pp.
| Simon
| June, 2005
|
TradeISBN 0-689-85862-0$15.95
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Barry Moser.
In this take-off on "The Three Billy Goats Gruff," a modern-day troll charges a dollar to use his bridge. The three goats join forces with several other folktale characters, including the Three Bears, until they have enough coins to pay the toll. Moser's watercolors, full of humorous contemporary details, are a good match for the clever wordplay in this tale.
40 pp.
| Simon
| September, 2004
|
TradeISBN 0-689-85159-6$15.95
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Jack E. Davis.
"Hey! I'm dying here for a couple of CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS, OKAY?!" A boy's outspoken sweet tooth constantly gets him in trouble until he bravely defies it by cutting out sugar and giving it "the carrot." The tooth's hilarious ranting, illustrated with comically grotesque caricatures, has great read-aloud potential.
32 pp.
| Dutton
| May, 2004
|
TradeISBN 0-525-47201-0$$15.99
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Ethan Long.
Dolores the duck loves Douglas but can't stand his smelly feet. After unsuccessful powders and perfume, the story ends happily when they decide their love is even stronger than the smell of Douglas's feet. The cartoony art, with neon green clouds emanating from the stinky feet, is appropriately outrageous. The gross subject will attract readers more than will the love story.
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Keith Graves.
Although Hilda Mae Heifer loves to sing, no one appreciates it. One day while crooning, she gets knocked "on the noggin." When she comes to, she can't remember what noise she makes: Honk? Oink? Mew? The other animals help her get her moo back; when she starts singing again they get earplugs. The zany illustrations complement the boisterously funny text.
40 pp.
| Hyperion
| June, 2004
|
TradeISBN 0-7868-1955-3$$15.99
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Henry Cole.
In his third book, the marvelously mustachioed Moose organizes a reunion of moose kin from Moosachusetts to Moosissippi. Bad puns, silly wordplay, and a truly ridiculous climax full of unwelcome moosekitos may make some kids giggle, but the slapstick is too overwrought to be truly funny. Nevertheless, the illustrations of cavorting moose relatives in swimsuits and PJs are quite a hoot.