Hi, Jack! - a review

Hi, Jack! (A Jack Book)
by Mac Barnett & Greg Pizzoli
Penguin Random House, 2019

I don't usually review "easy readers" because I don't like many of them. However, it's hard to resist reviewing an easy reader by the writer and illustrator duo of Mac Barnett and Greg Pizzoli. I admire both of them for their quirky and irreverent sense of humor.

Hi, Jack! is the first in a series of easy reader books featuring Jack—a trouble-making rabbit, Rex—an adorable dog, and The Lady. In the promo materials, Jack is described as mischievous, and The Lady is described as cranky and old, however, that will be up to the reader to decide. With Jack's thievery, graffiti, and trickstering, you may find that The Lady has due cause to be cranky—the old can't be helped.  While it's unusual to have an easy reader protagonist that is decidedly naughty, he also is quite capable of contrition and affability. In short, he's just like every kid.

The illustrations are simple and bright and are integral to the story's three chapters, "Jack," "Rex," and "The Lady." In the first chapter, Jack steals a purse from The Lady.  Although he gives the purse back, he has purloined the lipstick. In the second chapter, we see Rex with bright red, curvaceous lips, and then discover Jack hiding behind him with a devilish grin.

Rex has red lips.
Rex! Why are your lips red?
Your lips are bright red! Who did that to your lips?
Jack!
Bad Jack!

 Parents will love him or hate him.  Kids will definitely "get" him.  Grab your sense of humor and enjoy the rascally humor of Jack. 😄



Other related Shelf-employed reviews:

• Tricky Vic by Greg Pizzoli 
• Guys Read: Funny Business including a story by Mac Barnett
• Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett
• The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett and Jory John

My copy of Hi, Jack! was provided by the publisher.

The Bad Seed - a review

The Bad Seed
By Jory John
Illustrated by Pete Oswald
Harper, 2017

The Bad Seed was once a happy seed in a lovely sunflower. Could he help it that he was harvested for a bag of sunflower seeds and later spat out under the bleachers at the baseball game? It's no wonder he became bad!

Too often, I hear of "the bad kid" in school or even preschool! Preschool and elementary school children are way too young to be written off as "bad seeds."

I hope that The Bad Seed will remind us of three important things: not everyone is bad all the time; there is a reason for bad behavior; people can change. As the Bad Seed says,

"And even though I still feel bad, sometimes,
I also feel kind of good.
It's sort of a mix.
All I can do is keep trying."

The illustrations are funny and wonderfully expressive. If you work with children, share The Bad Seed.