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.

Bunjitsu Bunny's Best Move - a review

Bunjitsu Bunny's Best Move

by John Himmelman
(Henry Holt, 2015)

When Bunjitsu Bunny's Best Move came across my desk, my nose wrinkled and I thought, "Oh, this is going to be goofy."  But yet, I loved the cover art, and dove in anyway - taking it on my lunch break.  I'm so glad I did.

In fourteen, short, illustrated chapters, Isabel, John Himmelman's "bunjitsu" expert, learns important lessons of wisdom that are the perfect complement to her martial arts prowess.  In the second chapter, "Bunjitsu Bunny Fails," the usually perfect Isabel fails to master the "bunchucks."  She is profoundly disappointed,

     "You should not be unhappy," said Teacher.
     "But everyone passed the test except me," said Isabel.
     "Do you know what you did wrong?" asked Teacher.
     "Yes," said Isabel.
     "Can you do better?" asked Teacher.
     "Yes," said Isabel.
     "Lucky you," said Teacher. "They passed the test, but you learned the most."

Bunjitsu Bunny learns wisdom through action and observation.  Her lessons are similar to those imparted in John Muth's award-winning Zen Shorts picture books. However, the Bunjitsu Bunny books are simple chapter books for a suggested age range of 6-8 years.  The words are large, and the red, black and white illustrations are bold and full of expression.  The final chapter includes instructions for making an origami bunny face. Bunjitsu Bunny is a winner.

This is the second book in the series.  The first was Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny. (Images and excerpts here: [http://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250068064]) 


Bunjitsu Bunny is similar in reading level with one of my other favorites, Kate DiCamillo's Mercy Watson books.  I reviewed Mercy Watson to the Rescue in 2012. 

Picture Book Roundup - June 2015 edition

Enjoy a slide show version of this month's picture book roundup - a sampling of my new favorites!

 If the slide show doesn't work for you, I've listed the books below with links to my reviews on LibraryThing.

 

• Butterfly Park
• Pepper & Poe
• Bunny Roo, I Love You
• My Pen
• Baby Love

Picture book roundup - more funny ones!

Here are two new funny additions to add to my earlier post, Picture Book Roundup - new or coming soon!

We were reading these at work the other night.  All you could hear were laughs, chuckles, and "awww"s.

• Dyckman, Ame. 2015. Wolfie the Bunny. New York: Little Brown.  Illustrated by Zacharia OHora.

This one had all the library staff laughing! Wolfie is the cutest little wolf in a bunny suit, but the star of this story is his sister, Dot. Doesn't anyone else realize that a wolf does not make a good brother for a bunny? Every time I read it, I find something else amusing in the illustrations.  See you at the Carrot Patch Co-op! (Bring your own shopping bag.)

• Slater, David Michael. 2015. The Boy & the Book. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge. Illustrated by Bob Kolar.

This wordless book about a book and a "rough-and-tumble" little boy will crack you up and then make you say "Awww!" It's sure to become a librarian favorite. You'll love the blue book (but "read" them all!)

Musing for the day: How does one become a wordless picture book author? ;)

Picture Book Roundup - new or coming soon!

This edition of the Picture Book Roundup features "jampires" (!), two Stanleys (one dog, one hamster), and a new Kadir Nelson book for which I can't find enough superlatives.  Enjoy!

If you can't see the slideshow, I've included my reviews below.

 

• Nelson, Kadir. 2015. If You Plant a Seed. New York: Harper Collins.

If You Plant a Seed is a brilliantly written and exquisitely illustrated book about kindness. Sparse but meaningful text, combined with joyfully detailed illustrations of plants, birds, and animals. I love it!

• MacIntyre, Sarah and David O'Connell. 2015. Jampires. New York: David Fickling (Scholastic)

Who could be sucking all the jamminess out of the doughnuts?  Jampires!  Will Sam find jam?  Will the Jampires find their nest?  If you like funny, this is the best!

• Bee, William. 2015. Stanley the Farmer. New York: Peachtree.

Stanley is a hardworking hamster. Illustrations and text  are bright and simple, making Stanley a perfect choice for very young listeners. Along the lines of Maisy, but with a crisper, cleaner interface.  Nice size, sturdy construction.

• Agee, Jon. 2015. It's Only Stanley. New York: Dial.

The Wimbledons can't sleep.  What IS all that noise?  It's only Stanley, the dog.  He's howling at the moon, fixing the oil tank, making catfish stew, ...?  Hey, something's fishy here! Classic Jon Agee - droll humor at its best.


Review copies of Jampires, Stanley the Farmer, and It's Only Stanley were provided by the publisher.

Little Rabbit and the Meanest Mother on Earth

Klise, Kate. 2010. Little Rabbit and the Meanest Mother on Earth. Illustrated by M. Sarah Klise. New York: Harcourt.

This is another of those books that jumps out and yells "Read me!"  I hate to admit that I'm so affected by cover art, but I am.  I read the book (and loved it!) before looking at the author and illustrator; now I'm firmly convinced that the Klise sisters  know the exact location of my funny bone.  From the Regarding the... series to the Dying to Meet You series, they are consistently funny and inventive.

Little Rabbit and the Meanest Mother on Earth is the Klise sisters' latest picture book featuring Little Rabbit, and Little Rabbit's room is a MESS!  He would love to attend the circus that has arrived in town, but mom has decreed that he must first clean the playroom. How mean is mom?  She's the meanest mother on earth, and she's about to become the newest circus sideshow!

Only 5 cents! Odd! Shocking! The Amazing Rabbit and the Meanest Mother on Earth! 

 Will Little Rabbit's mother satisfy the 100 animals who have purchased tickets to see the Meanest Mother on Earth?  Or is there something even more shocking than the Meanest Mother on Earth?

Delightfully funny with humorously detailed paintings (don't miss the "mold-o-meter"), often featuring the "ring" motif of the circus.

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Stone Rabbit: BC Mambo

Craddock, Erik. 2009.BC Mambo (Stone Rabbit series). New York: Random House.

BC Mambo is the first in a graphic novel series (Stone Rabbit) by Erik Craddock. When this book arrived in my new book bag, it screamed out, "READ ME!" The bright colors, large-eyed creatures, and big-toothed hero are definite attention-getters, but there's more to Stone Rabbit than a flashy little cover.

The series begins in Happy Glades and our long-eared hero is bored to tears, when suddenly -

a portal opens up in his bathroom,

"Well, that's odd. You'd think I'd know if there was a bottomless pit of doom in the middle of my bathroom -- Besides the toilet ..."

Along with a bottle of barbecue sauce, he falls into the pit of doom and lands in the Neanderthal world where he finds himself to be its only possible savior,

as the evil Willie plans to take over the world ....

with barbecue sauce???

Unobtrusively moralistic (can you really rule the world with HAMBURGERS?!) and very funny, this series has great potential. It is short on dialogue and long on action. Most pages have only one or two frames, and several are double-spreads of prehistoric action.

According to Random House, this series is targeted at five to ten-year-olds. I think that the humor and dialogue,

"Behold! Willie's Big Burger Hut! My legacy! Bask in its majesty!"

will be above a five-year-old's level of understanding, but little readers may be drawn in to the book's small size, vivid colors and expressive characters, nonetheless. Eight to ten-year-olds should feel right at home traveling through time with Stone Rabbit.

I think this series will be a winner. I'm going to put this book on the shelf and see if I'm right.